TRANSPORT

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the effect of the Government's limit on carbon dioxide emissions from aviation on lifeline flights in  (a) Scotland and  (b) the UK;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of any future breach of the Government's target for airline emissions on the future of  (a) lifeline flights and  (b) airports serving lifeline flights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 25 February 2009
	In January this year, the Government announced a new target to get UK aviation carbon dioxide emissions in 2050 below 2005 levels and asked the Committee on Climate Change to advise on the best basis for its development. The Committee is due to report by December 2009. The Committee's advice will inform the Government's approach in ensuring achievement of the target. In developing this approach, the Government will take into account a range of different factors.
	The Government recognise the important economic and social benefits that lifeline air services can bring to remote areas of the UK and continue to support the measures consistent with EU law that help sustain such services in Scotland and Wales.

Bus Services: Concessions

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities have withdrawn  (a) companion bus passes for those accompanying (i) deafblind and (ii) other disabled people and  (b) peak bus travel entitlement since the introduction of the national concessionary bus fares scheme.

Paul Clark: These concessions may be offered to eligible concessionaires at the discretion of individual local authorities based on their judgment of local needs and circumstances and their overall financial priorities; accordingly the Government do not hold these figures. The introduction of the national concessionary travel scheme has not affected the flexibility of local authorities to offer such discretionary concessions.

Bus Services: Concessions

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether a disability equality impact assessment was conducted prior to the introduction of the new national concessionary bus fares scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport published a Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 in July 2007. This included an assessment of the sectors and groups that would be affected by the new national concessionary travel scheme, including disabled people.
	In addition, in March 2008 the Department published an Impact Assessment of Concessionary Bus Travel Passes, which included a disability equality impact assessment.
	The Government also consulted widely with stakeholders, including the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), prior to the introduction of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Driving Standards Agency: Alcoholic Drinks

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1385W, on the Driving Standards Agency: Alcoholic Drinks, on how many other occasions in 2008 the Driving Standards Agency purchased alcohol for other conferences and management meetings.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency has paid for wine served before and during dinner at three other conferences for different grades of managers held in May and June 2008 on a similar basis to the September event. The conferences involved people staying away from their homes overnight and working in their own time.

Lorries: Working Hours

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to monitor the compliance of haulage firms with the EU Working Time Directive; and what guidance his Department issues on the definition of a driver's  (a) working time and  (b) period of availability for the purposes of the Directive.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) monitors compliance with European Directive 2002/15/EC on the working time of mobile workers, by examining working time records when undertaking visits to operator bases, and by responding to any complaints made by employees about working time.
	The Department has published guidance on the implementing GB regulations. This guidance defines working time as the time from the beginning of work, during which the mobile worker is at the workstation at the disposal of the employer and exercising his or her functions or activities.
	The guidance defines a period of availability (PoA) as waiting time, the duration of which is known about in advance by the mobile worker.
	A full description of what functions/activities are included in the definition of working time, along with examples of what does and does not constitute a PoA, can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/road/workingtime/rdtransportworkingtimeguidance

M25: Hertfordshire

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the General Permitted Development Order in respect of the proposed compound to be developed near Junction 17 of the M25.

Paul Clark: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Representations regarding the General Permitted Development Order concerning the proposed site compound at M25 Junction 17 have been received from the hon. Member, Three Rivers district council and from local residents. All have been opposed to the location.
	The concerns of the representations have been considered by the Highways Agency and a decision has been made not to site the compound at Junction 17 as originally proposed.

Public Transport: Expenditure

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent per capita on public transport in  (a) Greater Manchester and  (b) Greater London in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Public spending to support non-commercial public transport services in Greater Manchester and Greater London is largely the responsibility of the relevant local authorities. Figures for local authority expenditure on transport are available in published Local Government Finance Statistics at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/index.htm
	The Department for Transport also allocates funding which supports rail services in Greater Manchester and Greater London. Funding to support rail services in England is not however available on the basis of local authority boundaries.

Public Transport: Greater Manchester

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for its future spending levels for provision of public transport in Greater Manchester.

Paul Clark: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Local Transport Plan funding for Greater Manchester will increase from £73.753 million in 2008-09 to £79.317 million in 2009-10 and £84.642 million in 2010-11. In addition, Greater Manchester has been awarded £978,356 (between 2008-09 and 2009-10) from the Congestion Performance Fund.
	Funding for major schemes (those over £5 million) is determined through the regional funding allocation (RFA) process. The north-west region is currently considering how to prioritise the £1,314 million available through to 2018-19.

Public Transport: Greater Manchester

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the funds available from the Transport Innovation Fund for public transport improvement in Manchester will be held in reserve until new proposals are put forward by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities.

Paul Clark: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The funding previously available from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for Greater Manchester is now available to other high quality TIF proposals. Were the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities to put forward another TIF proposal, it would be assessed against the published criteria just as with any other proposal.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Foreign Workers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Upper Bann of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1972W, how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals work as agency or temporary staff in his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested relating to the nationality of agency or temporary staff is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In my reply to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1972W, I stated that my Department employed no EU foreign nationals and no non-EU foreign nationals whereas the answer should have been that the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many language translators are employed in his Department's executive agency; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department's executive agency, the Royal Parks, has not incurred any translating services costs in the latest period for which information is available.

World Heritage Sites

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what further reports he intends to submit to the World Heritage Committee on UK World Heritage sites in advance of its 2009 session; and what the timetable for submission is.

Barbara Follett: My Department submitted to UNESCO's World Heritage Centre a State of Conservation report for Gough and Inaccessible Islands World Heritage Site on 6 February 2009. A report for the Palace of Westminster, St. Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey World Heritage Site will be submitted by 28 February 2009.

World Heritage Sites

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which UK World Heritage sites he is evaluating in advance of the World Heritage Committee's 2009 session.

Barbara Follett: My Department does not carry out evaluations of UK World Heritage Sites on behalf of the World Heritage Committee, but has provided information on the state of conservation of a number of UK World Heritage Sites as requested by the World Heritage Centre.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Billy Wright Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many security officials the Wright Inquiry employs.

Shaun Woodward: The Billy Wright Inquiry does not directly employ security guards and holds a contract with a private company for the provision of security services.
	Inquiry staff also deal with security issues as part of their duties.

Billy Wright Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Wright Inquiry has spent on  (a) information technology and  (b) information technology consultants.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised by the Billy Wright Inquiry that the Inquiry has spent £5.50 million on information technology and £611,000 on IT consultants to the end of January 2009.

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many security officials the Saville Inquiry employs.

Shaun Woodward: The Bloody Sunday Inquiry does not directly employ security guards and holds a contract with a private firm for the provision of security guards. Inquiry staff also deal with security issues as part of their duties.

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Saville Inquiry has spent on  (a) information technology and  (b) information technology consultants.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that the Inquiry has spent approximately £31.7 million on information technology and approximately £2 million on information technology consultants to the end of January 2009.

Crime Rate

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the property crime rate in Northern Ireland was in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) the last four months of 2008;
	(2)  what the violent crime rate in Northern Ireland was in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) the last four months of 2008;
	(3)  what the property crime rate in South Antrim constituency was in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) the last four months of 2008;
	(4)  what the violent crime rate in the South Area of Northern Ireland was in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) the last four months of 2008.

Paul Goggins: These data are collated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has no central record of EU and non-EU foreign nationals in our employment. Since November 2007, the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), which also carries out recruitment on behalf of the NIO, has collected the nationality details of applicants for vacancies. This information is retained for those who are successful and are appointed to posts in the NICS and NIO. Nationality details are not yet held for the vast majority of staff recruited before November 2007.

Departmental ICT

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2009,  Official Report, column 773W, on departmental ICT, for what reasons the budget of the Causeway Programme has increased by £18.3 million.

Paul Goggins: The Causeway Programme is a key element in the continuing modernisation and reform of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. At its inception, total costs were estimated at £42.7 million but a later review of the business case estimated that these would increase to £61 million. The most recent estimate, after reviewing the Programme content, is that total costs will be £58 million. This represents an increase of some £15 million against the original projections. The increased costs have arisen in three main areas:
	Additional costs arising from the complexity of integrating six agencies' business processes and separate computer systems—£5 million;
	Contract changes—£6 million;
	Programme development and office costs arising from delay—£4 million.
	Following the end of the Programme, additional enhancements to the system—originally intended to be part of the Programme—may be taken forward through one-off projects, subject to stringent cost and benefit analysis.

Departmental Marketing

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1415W, on departmental marketing, how much of the total for the year 2007-08 was funded by the Firearms and Explosives Branch.

Paul Goggins: Firearms and Explosives Branch funded £173,312.38 of the total for the year 2007-08.
	This was spent on the 2007 Fireworks Safety Campaign and covered creative, agency and production costs; media advertising; education packs; and initiatives for schools.

EC Grants and Loans

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much in European regional aid structural funding was allocated to Northern Ireland for 2000 to 2006; how much of this funding had been spent by 31 December 2008; and whether a request was made to the European Commission to extend the spending deadline beyond this date.

Shaun Woodward: The information is not available in the form requested. I am advised by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland, which has responsibility for these matters, that European regional aid structural funding of €1,434,485,611 (approx £1,141,541,061) was provided for the period 2000-08.
	In the UK, managing authorities made the decision whether to extend their programmes. BERR officials consolidated those requests (which included a request from Northern Ireland) in a letter to the European Commission. This letter included the request to extend the Northern Ireland Objective 1 transitional programme and the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland INTERREG Strand A programme.

Inquiries

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent to date on lawyers and legal firms employed by the  (a) Hamill,  (b) Wright and  (c) Nelson inquiries.  [Official Report, 20 April 2009, Vol. 491, c. 1MC.]

Shaun Woodward: The following amounts have been spent by the Inquiries to the end of January 2009 on lawyers and legal firms:
	 (a) The Robert Hamill Inquiry—£8.74 million;
	 (b) The Billy Wright Inquiry—£4.87 million;
	 (c) The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry—£13.05 million.

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance his Department provided to local authorities in Northern Ireland on their investment strategies during periods of direct rule since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Local government matters are devolved in Northern Ireland. I have been advised by the Northern Ireland Minister for the Environment that no specific guidance on investment strategies was issued to local authorities by his Department during the periods of direct rule since 1997.
	The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 and the Trustee Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 provide for district councils in Northern Ireland to invest funds. The Trustee Act contains a general power of investment and sets out standard investment criteria, to which district councils are expected to adhere.

Robert Hamill Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Hamill Inquiry has spent on  (a) information technology and  (b) information technology consultants.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised by the Robert Hamill Inquiry that it has spent £3.71 million on information technology and £707,000 on IT consultants to the end of January 2009.

Robert Hamill Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many security officials the Hamill Inquiry employs.

Shaun Woodward: The Robert Hamill Inquiry does not directly employ security guards. It holds a contract with a private company for the provision of security guards for the Inquiry's Belfast accommodation, and a separate company provides staff to carry out overnight and weekend guarding for the building as a whole.
	Inquiry staff also deal with security issues as part of their duties.

Rosemary Nelson Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many security officials the Nelson Inquiry employs.

Shaun Woodward: The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry does not directly employ security guards. It holds a contract with a private company for the provision of security guards for the inquiry's Belfast accommodation, and a separate company provides staff to carry out overnight and weekend guarding for the building as a whole.
	Inquiry staff also deal with security issues as part of their duties.

Rosemary Nelson Inquiry

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Nelson Inquiry has spent on  (a) information technology and  (b) IT consultants.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised by the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry that the inquiry has spent £5.97 million on information technology and £975,000 on IT consultants to the end of January 2009.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Genetically Modified Crops

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what area of genetically modified crops was cultivated in the UK in 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In England GM crops were grown in trials last year on no more than two hectares of land, and it has been reported that a limited area of an EU-approved GM maize was grown commercially in Wales.

Marine Environment

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to protect the marine environment.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government are taking forward a number of measures aimed at achieving our vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. The Marine and Coastal Access Bill currently before the House of Lords will improve the way in which we sustainably manage our marine environment. The Government are also committed to work to achieve Good Environmental Status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and action towards sustainable fisheries management.

Upland Farmers

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to assist farmers in the uplands.

Hilary Benn: The Government provided a total of £168 million in funding to upland farmers through the hill farm allowance and the single payment scheme in 2008. Rural development funding in 2007 also provided upland farmers with £56 million from agri-environment schemes.
	The HFA will be replaced by Uplands ELS in 2010. Based on uptake of 80 per cent., funding will be around £25 million a year. Further to this, a significant amount of new Higher Level Stewardship funding will go to upland farmers.

Pitt Report

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the recommendations in Sir Michael Pitt's report from the 2007 floods "Lessons learned" have been implemented.

Hilary Benn: I last met Sir Michael Pitt to discuss the response in November. My officials and I will continue to consult him on progress in implementing his recommendations.
	The Government's response to the Pitt Review set out what had been implemented before December 2008 and the further steps required to implement its recommendations in the future. The Government will report further on implementation every six months, beginning in June 2009.

Recycling: Household Waste

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage people to continue to recycle household waste.

Jane Kennedy: The economic downturn poses new challenges, especially because of volatility in markets; and we are keeping a very close watch on the situation. The clear message to householders is that there are markets for most materials and we should continue to recycle.
	Both the DEFRA-funded 'Recycle Now' campaign and the Local Government Association are disseminating information to local authorities and the public about the continued benefits of recycling.

Animal Disease Strategy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in his Department's discussions with the farming industry on sharing the costs of the animal disease strategy.

Jane Kennedy: There has been considerable progress, as reflected in the 2006 report of the Joint Industry-Government Working Group and the work of the Consultative Forum between December 2007 and July 2008.
	The National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association as key players are in agreement with us that there should be an independent body with responsibility for animal health.

Food Labelling

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in discussions with the European Commission on new rules on country of origin food labelling.

Jane Kennedy: The EU Commission is aiming to simplify existing general food labelling and nutrition labelling legislation and published the "EU Proposal for a Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers" in February 2008.
	There have yet to be substantive discussions on this issue in Europe under the proposed Food Information Regulation. But the Government will be pressing for much clearer rules backing up origin claims.

Food Labelling

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the use of country of origin labelling for food and food products.

Jane Kennedy: We receive representations from the farming community about this issue on a regular basis.

Departmental Nursery Provision: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what nursery provision is made by his Department for the children of its staff working in York.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA staff in York are supported through an onsite subsidised nursery. The nursery currently supports a total of 50 children of staff from DEFRA, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (now part of the Health and Safety Executive) and the Meat Hygiene Service, who are all located on the Kings Pool site.

Single Farm Payment Scheme

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the operation of the single farm payment scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I am pleased to confirm that the Rural Payments Agency met the first of its formal targets for payments under the 2008 single payment scheme, to pay 75 per cent. by value by the end of January, and is on course to meet its next target, to pay 90 per cent. by value by the end of March. Latest figures show that just under £1.37 billion (84.35 per cent.) has been paid to nearly 96,000 customers (over 90 per cent.)

Floods and Water Bill

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the draft Floods and Water Bill.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We intend to publish the draft Bill for public consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny later in the spring.

Pitt Report: Funding

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has allocated for implementation of the recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt's review of the floods of the summer of 2007.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government set aside £34.5 million of the £2.15 billion total for flood and coastal erosion in this year and the following two years to implement Sir Michael Pitt's Review. This response also draws upon other budgets available for flood risk management activity in order to invest a total of over £60 million in delivering the recommendations over the same period.

Food Security

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to increase UK food security.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has a new role to co-ordinate food policy across Government and has a new departmental strategic objective for a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply. We are working across Government and with stakeholders for sustainable production, distribution and consumption of food, ensuring that it is available and affordable for all sectors of society, and considering the sustainability impacts of meeting global food needs.

Air Pollution

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has received a request from Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for exemption from the Clean Air Act 1993 to facilitate the burning of wood pellets in coal-fired boilers;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the pilot trials undertaken by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council of burning wood pellets on fossil fuel appliances.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Barnsley metropolitan borough council wrote to DEFRA in September last year regarding exemptions under the Clean Air Act 1993 and in October, following a request from my Department for further information. My hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. Clapham) also wrote to the Secretary of State in September last year regarding the council's pilot trials.
	DEFRA replied to Barnsley metropolitan council on 5 December 2008 and explained that, in this case, it was considered that a general exemption was not appropriate but that it was open to the council to make a local exemption to enable wood pellets to be used in certain coal fired boilers in their area.

Air Pollution

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals he has to simplify the procedure for applying for an exemption under the Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) Order.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In 2006, the Government, in response to the Biomass Task Force 2005 Report, agreed to ask the British Standards Institute to review their guidelines for testing appliances for smokeless operation with a view to simplifying the exemption procedure. We have since implemented changes to streamline and simplify the application and testing procedure for exempting appliances for use in smoke control areas. We will continue to keep these procedures under review but currently have no plans to introduce further simplifications.
	A copy of the Government's response is available on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.detfra.gov.uk/farm/crops/industrial/energy/biomasstaskforce/pdf/btfreportgovresponse.pdf.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to maintain and increase biodiversity.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Our plans are set out in 'Conserving Biodiversity—the UK Approach'. Working in partnership with others, and applying the ecosystem approach, our priorities are: protecting the best wildlife sites; promoting the recovery of priority species and habitats; embedding biodiversity in all sectors of policy and decision-making; engaging people and developing the evidence base. We have set targets to 2020 to increase the extent and quality of priority habitats and the range and populations of priority species.

Bluetongue Disease

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of human infection by the bluetongue virus have been reported in each of the last four years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Bluetongue is a disease of animals affecting all ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, guanaco and vicuna). It does not affect humans.

BSE

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department of amending and updating the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations was.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not keep records for amount of time spent on individual pieces of TSE work. The approximate cost of amending and updating the TSE regulations was £9,500.

BSE

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on the consultation for the proposed changes to the system of testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not keep records for the amount of time spent on individual pieces of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy work. The approximate cost of the consultation on increasing the age above which cattle must be tested was £5,800.

Carbon Emissions: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 429W, on Carbon Emissions: Finance, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent accounts of each of the three bodies.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The Carbon Trust and The Energy Saving Trust are independent private companies limited by guarantee, and, as such, their accounts are a matter of public record and accessible at Companies House. Summaries are available on the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust's websites at:
	www.carbontrust.co.uk/'Publications/publicationdetail.htm?productid=CTC735&metaNoCache=1
	and
	www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/corporate/Global-Data/Publications/Annual-Review-2007-2008
	Their accounts are not routinely placed in the Library of the House.
	Envirowise is a service to business providing free and independent advice on how to make cost savings from improved resource efficiency. It is delivered under contract for DEFRA by AEA Technology which publishes its annual financial statement on its
	website at:
	www.aeatannualreport.com/

Departmental Air Travel

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 161-62W, on departmental air travel, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the figures for the financial year 2007-08.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, 2007-08 air travel mileage figures available currently for all Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF) participants are as follows:
	
		
			  Participant  Domestic miles  Short-haul miles  Long-haul miles  Total miles 
			 DFID 2,442,620 3,925,809 42,143,843 48,512,272 
			 MOD 1,482,742 8,013,589 34,520,713 44,017,044 
			 Red Arrows TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 HMRC 13,803,977 1,885,521 2,435,769 18,125,267 
			 VOA 67,078 6,180 32,297 105,554 
			 BERR 1,850,032 2,798,771 11,157,261 15,806,064 
			 HO 3,096,510 1,616,014 3,956,040 8,668,564 
			 IPS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 CRB TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 PS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 FSS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 DWP 7,825,984 650,331 867,756 9,344,071 
			 HMT 1,568,881 249,645 916,195 2,734,720 
			 DEFRA 3,612,104 2,486,524 5,204,594 11,303,222 
			 CEFAS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 DCMS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 DH 413,688 576,208 1,456,328 2,446,224 
			 CO 183,400 7,400,286 2,466,762 10,050,448 
			 No.10 TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 DfT 693,997 821,311 1,939,471 3,454,778 
			 RH TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 GCDA TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 DCLG 98,617 297,057 195,831 591,505 
			 DfES TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 LOD 63,425 395,429 1,053,994 1,512,848 
			 CPS (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 SFO (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 RCPO (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 AGO (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 HMCPSI (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 Tsol (LOD) TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 NIO 1,992,239 60,536 160,637 2,213,412 
			 MOJ TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 TLR 13,842 25,650 99,170 138,663 
			 TTBC 27,958 49,171 222,404 299,532 
			 ECGD TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 Parl HC 1,049,576 1,072,394 2,674,252 4,796,222 
			 BAPG TBC TBC 121,271 121,271 
			 Parl HL 177,949 249,940 419,955 847,844 
			 TRS 9,180 0 0 9,180 
			 GLA TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 MPS TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 TfL 54,569 690,967 1,458,757 2,204,293 
			 LDA TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			 SDC TBC TBC TBC TBC 
			  Note: As the deadline for returns is 30 April 2009, the abbreviation TBC is used to signify where finalised returns are yet to be confirmed/supplied.

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA and its agencies own or maintain a wide range of databases reflecting its diverse policy and regulatory functions. The costs of maintaining these databases are included within the costs for each of these functions. Separating out the costs of maintaining databases for such a broad range of activities could be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new recruits his Department took on in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09; how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 5 February 2009
	The following table shows the number of staff recruited by DEFRA in each financial year since 2005-06.
	
		
			  Financial year  Permanent  Short-term appointments  Total 
			 2005-06 343 351 694 
			 2006-07 211 136 347 
			 2007-08 207 74 281 
			 2008-09(1) 184 63 247 
			 (1) Period covered is 1 April to 31 December 2008. 
		
	
	Information on agency staff is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For both 2009-10 and 2010-11, our plans for recruitment in future years will depend on available budget, turnover and the needs of the business.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many language translators are employed in each of his Department's  (a) executive agencies and  (b) non-Ministerial departments; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: None of DEFRA's Executive agencies employ translators but can use core DEFRA services. Their share of the costs of these in 2007-08 was £26,497. The Forestry Commission employs one translator. Their translation services in 2007-08 cost £40,665.

Disease Control: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on research to support the development of the  (a) Exotic Animal Disease Contingency Plan and  (b) Farm Animal Welfare Council Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Gamebirds.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) DEFRA funds research on a range of exotic diseases of animals. The research provides evidence that contributes to policy development aimed at better prevention and control of exotic diseases. This evidence is utilised in the Exotic Animal Disease Contingency Plans. In the financial year 2008-09, the Department will be spending £7.3 million on research on exotic diseases of animals.
	 (b) The Department spent £341,362 on research to inform the Farm Animal Welfare Council Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Gamebirds. The cost of research carried out by Farm Animal Welfare Council members was approximately £17,100. The cost of Secretariat and DEFRA veterinary advice provision was approximately £9,200.

Energy Conservation: Research

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the future skills needs of low carbon, resource-efficient environmental sectors.

Jane Kennedy: In 2008, DEFRA commissioned a review of the evidence of the skills that are, or will be, needed for a low carbon resource-efficient economy. The research was commissioned to identify gaps in the evidence base and help inform policy development in this area.

Entry Level Stewardship Scheme

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claims made under the Entry Level Stewardship scheme were invalid in each of the last four years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The Entry Level Stewardship scheme (ELS) was launched in 2005 and there are now over 37,000 live ELS agreements covering over 5 million hectares of land.
	Payments under ELS are made every six months for the five-year duration of the ELS agreement. Each of these payments is made automatically, apart from the final payment for which a claim must be submitted. As the earliest ELS agreements have not yet reached the final payment stage, no claims have been submitted under the scheme to date.
	We do track the number of applications that were invalid and not accepted into the scheme. For the four years of operation so far, these are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 868 
			 2006-07 837 
			 2007-08 376 
			 2008-09 274

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by bringing forward funding for flood defence schemes.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Approximately 400 jobs are likely to be created or sustained in 2009-10 by the £20 million brought forward from 2010-11.

Food Supply: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has allocated for each category of research into sustainable forms of agriculture in each of the last four years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Agriculture and climate change — — 2,209,308 3,827,331 4,022,592 
			 Climate change(1) 382,506 145,562 62,669 124,607 — 
			 Environmental protection (Agriculture)(1) 5,325,982 3,923,582 2,331,042 995,858 352,723 
			 Non-food crops(1) 2,565,337 3,265,384 2,011,493 — 950,762 
			 Organic farming(1) 2,031,738 1,974,492 1,214,314 792,108 553,066 
			 Plant health 685,878 715,613 935,273 792,422 686,395 
			 Resource efficient and resilient food chain(2) — — 958,309 1,570,636 1,566,439 
			 Sustainable arable(1) 5,714,102 5,545,388 3,583,963 2,164,176 1,327,236 
			 Sustainable farming systems and biodiversity — — 1,956,107 3,740,230 6,189,668 
			 Food (production component)(1,2) 570,000 583,000 110,000 110,000 — 
			 Sustainable horticulture(1) 9,475,040 8,880,970 6,245,066 4,116,408 3,756,355 
			 Sustainable livestock(1) 8,215,670 7,700,465 5,482,683 2,084,134 881,911 
			 Sustainable water management — — 1,439,754 3,467,561 4,048,468 
			  34,966,253 32,734,456 28,539,981 24,921,796 24,335,615 
			 (1) R&D programmes closed to new projects in 2005.  (2) Excluding post-farm gate R&D.

Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sites in England deal with hazardous waste; what the distance is between each site and the nearest unit of housing; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 January 2009
	There are about 1,300 sites permitted to store hazardous wastes, including asbestos, some batteries, television sets and fluorescent tubes. These permitted sites consist of approximately 740 hazardous waste transfer stations; 370 hazardous waste treatment facilities; 31 hazardous waste incinerators including clinical waste incinerators; 33 in-house hazardous waste storage facilities; 102 hazardous waste landfill sites (30 of which are in the process of closing); and 68 pet crematoria.
	Lists of the sites have been placed in the Library of the House. The lists record the distance of each site from human occupation. Postcode specific searches for this information can be obtained on a case by case basis via the Environment Agency's website. Information on some of the sites is not available as it is not held or the site is new.

Pollution Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) research and  (b) consultations for the introduction of local authority industrial pollution regulations.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The current system of local authority industrial pollution regulation began in 1991. DEFRA's annual research expenditure on this system varies annually, but on average is around £40,000 a year. Consultations are undertaken periodically, including an annual consultation on the level of fees and charges payable by regulated businesses. In the last six months, separate consultations have been undertaken on a better regulation review of the system, and on the principles to underpin the forthcoming review of statutory guidance notes on pollution standards. Separate data are not held which distinguishes the cost of these consultations from that of managing the system as a whole.

Poultry Industry: Training

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has allocated for the training passport scheme to train staff in the poultry industry to NVQ level qualification.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 25 February 2009
	This is an industry resourced initiative so DEFRA funding has not been required.

Waste Disposal: Environment Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to ensure that environmental standards are upheld in waste treatment facilities.

Jane Kennedy: Waste treatment facilities operate under a permit issued by the competent authorities (Environment Agency or local authority) that regulates the nature of the operation, the types and quantities of waste and the measures to be taken to prevent harm or pollution.
	Facilities are therefore subject to a range of guidance from Government and the competent authorities in respect of their environmental standards of operation and to regular inspection and compliance monitoring by the competent authorities, which take account of the environmental risk and the operator's performance.
	Where operators do not comply, the competent authorities have powers to take enforcement action and do so in accordance with their Enforcement and Prosecution policy.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

British-French Nuclear Forum

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  on what date the Franco-British Nuclear Forum last met;
	(2)  on what date a Minister last attended a meeting of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum;
	(3)  how much has been paid from the public purse to the Franco-British Nuclear Forum in each year since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The last meeting of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum to be attended by a Minister was held on 29 March 2007 and attended by the then Energy Minister. This is also the date that the forum last met.
	The total cost to the public purse of the Franco- British Nuclear Forum in each year since its inception is £33,400, all of which was incurred in financial year 2006-07.

Carbon Sequestration: Finance

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on the facilitation of carbon capture and storage in  (a) each year since 1997 and  (b) 2008-09 to date; and what estimate he has made of equivalent expenditure in the next six years.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 In the period 1997-2005, the then Department of Trade and Industry supported industrially led research and development through the Clean Coal Programme, spend as follows. It has not been possible to provide separate figures for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects for this period.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 3.1 
			 1998-99 2.9 
			 1999-2000 2.5 
			 2000-01 4.3 
			 2001-02 4.4 
			 2002-03 3 
			 2003-04 5 
			 2004-05 6.5 
		
	
	Since 2005, funding for industrially led R and D has been the responsibility of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills' Technology Strategy Board.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) provides support for demonstration of components for CCS and pilot scale CCS through the Carbon Abatement Technologies Demonstration Programme now supported via the Environmental Transformation Fund. Since the programme was launched in October 2006 it has spent:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0.1 
			 2007-08 0.1 
			 2008-09 to date 0.3 
		
	
	A further joint call, worth some £15million, under this programme was announced on 12 February 2009, with the TSB and Northern Way.
	In addition the DECC is supporting a full scale CCS demonstration project to be operational by 2014. Given the unique nature of the UK's CCS project it is difficult to provide a definitive assessment of costs. It is also the case that the final cost may vary significantly according to the design of the winning project. We expect to develop a much clearer picture of both capital and operating costs during the competition process as we undertake detailed negotiations with the three pre-qualified bidders.
	As a new Department an estimate of spend for future years cannot be given. The annual budgets for DECC for the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 have been agreed with HM Treasury and DECC is currently allocating these budgets to its different responsibilities through a business planning process.
	DECC also undertakes a number of other activities that will facilitate the introduction of CCS. An example is the Energy Act 2008 which sets the framework for offshore storage of CO2.

Climate Change: EU Action

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on taking into account energy and climate change-related threats in the European Security Strategy.

Mike O'Brien: Energy security and climate change are among key threats and global challenges that were identified in the EU High Representative/Secretary General's report on the implementation of the 2003 European security strategy which was endorsed by the December 2008 European Council. The UK Government outlined their position on the threat of climate change in the March 2008 national security strategy and, reflecting its importance in traditional security policy, have taken a lead in pushing climate change to the top of the international debate about security. The Government also pressed to ensure that Javier Solana's report included energy security as a key theme.
	My right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has regular discussions with EU counterparts on these issues, mainly in the context of the EU Energy and Environment Councils.

Community Energy Saving Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the first householders to receive assistance from the Community Energy Saving Programme.

Mike O'Brien: The consultation for the Community Energy Saving Programme was published on 12 February 2009.
	We are working to publish a draft order to illustrate how the policy proposals may be reflected in a final order. We hope to publish this in the next few weeks, hopefully by the second or third week of March.
	The order will then be finalised once the Government have received and considered responses to the consultation process.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department appointed a senior information risk owner in accordance with the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government and the accompanying document Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action; and what grade the person holds within the Department.

Mike O'Brien: A member of the DECC Management Board currently on temporary promotion to SCS Pay Band 3 accepted the role of SIRO on an interim basis on 6 January 2009.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many requests under the  (a) Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) Environmental Information Regulations 2004 his Department has (i) received and (ii) responded to since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly reports containing statistical information on freedom of information requests received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments). These reports can be found at the following address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	The latest published data currently relate to information requests received by monitored bodies during the third quarter (July to September) of 2008. Statistics for the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2008 are currently being compiled, and are due to be published in April 2009. This report will include statistics on information requests received and responded to by the Department of Energy and Climate Change between its creation on 3 October and the end of December 2008.

Departmental Gifts

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many members of staff in his Department have received gifts valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties since his Department's creation; what these gifts were; and from whom they were received.

Mike O'Brien: Since the Department's creation on 3 October 2008, one member of DECC staff has received a gift valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties, as follows:
	
		
			  Date gift received  Description  Value (£)  Gift received from  Reason for gift  Outcome 
			 December 2008 12 bottles of red wine (1)120 Linklaters Thank you for speaking at seminar at short notice Staff member retained gift and made donations of equivalent value to charities 
			 (1) Estimated

Departmental Internet

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by what date he expects his Departmental website to achieve the full  (a) content and  (b) functionality planned.

Mike O'Brien: The Department's new website will go live by the end of February 2009, including all functionality and content that have so far been planned. More content will be added subsequent to this date. The Department will continue to hold detailed policy information on the energy and climate change sections of the websites of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs respectively, pending a full content audit to be undertaken later this year.

Departmental Marketing

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent to date on its  (a) websites,  (b) logos and  (c) stationery.

Mike O'Brien: Since its formation on 3 October 2008, DECC has spent £19,226 on stationery and £38,931 on logo design and associated costs. The current DECC website was put in place at no additional cost as a temporary measure while a new site for the Department is developed. While no invoices have yet been received for the development of the replacement site, £50,000 has so far been allocated for this for 2008-09.

Departmental Public Consultation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultations relating to energy and climate change were initiated by his Department's predecessors between 5 May 2005 and 6 October 2008.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has records on consultations relating to energy and climate change undertaken from August 2006. A total of 32 consultations were carried out in the period of August 2006 to 6 October 2008. Details are set out as follows and include consultations relating to waste, which has links to energy and climate change.
	Consultation on EU Energy Using Products Directive transposing into legislation.
	New regulation on ecodesign requirements for energy using products.
	Consultation on measures to reduce carbon emissions in large non-energy intensive business and public sector organisations.
	Joint Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs/Department of Trade and Industry consultation on energy metering and billing.
	Consultation on the energy, cost and carbon saving calculations for the draft Energy Efficiency Commitment 2008-11 illustrative mix: Energy Efficiency Commitment 2008-11.
	Consultation on the Draft Climate Change Bill.
	Consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment.
	Consultation on Energy Services Directive.
	Consultation on Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.
	Consultation on "Recycle on the Go".
	Consultation on packaging targets.
	Consultation on Energy Services Directive Article 5.
	Consultation on Climate Change Simplification plan.
	Consultation on changes to packaging regulations.
	Consultation on proposals for regulations to amend the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 to include further licensing exemptions for agricultural waste.
	Consultation on 'Local authority environmental regulation of industrial plant: 2007/08 risk based fees and charges'.
	Consultation on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on waste.
	Consultation on the amendment of the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000.
	Consultation on EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
	Consultation on establishing a voluntary code of best practice for the provision of carbon offsetting to UK customers.
	Consultation on the EU Commission's proposals to amend the EU ETS from 2013.
	Consultation on Aviation and EU ETS.
	Consultation on carbon accounting regulations.
	Consultation on review of waste exemptions.
	Consultation on the operation of the National Emission Reduction Plan under the Large Combustion Plants Directive.
	Waste strategy for England 2007: Incentives for Recycling by Households.
	Consultation on Carbon Emissions Reduction Target April to March 2011.
	Consultation on proposals for offences and penalties and enforcement in relation to EC Regulation 842/2006 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases/proposals for amendments to the Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone-Depleting Substances) Regulations SI 2002 No. 528
	Consultation on auction design for Phase Two of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
	Consultation on fluorinated gases and ozone.
	Consultation on the European Commission's proposed Directive on Industrial Emissions (IPPC) (recast).
	Consultation on Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007; Directive 2004/12/EC (amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste).

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Mike O'Brien: Ministers and officials have regular engagements with other organisations including relevant Government Departments on a range of issues relating to the economy.
	No sector is immune from the current economic climate and credit crunch and along with the regulator Ofgem, we are closely monitoring the effects on the energy sector, including on investment plans.

Electricity

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in each  (a) Government Office region,  (b) local authority area and  (c) parliamentary constituency which are not connected to the electricity grid.

Mike O'Brien: No recent estimate of the number of households not connected to the electricity grid has been made, but the number is likely to be extremely small.

Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on the future development of an infrastructure for energy.

Mike O'Brien: While large energy companies continue to be able to access the capital markets for investment purposes, some smaller energy firms have found debt financing harder to come by due to current financial conditions, potentially leading to postponement and delay in some investments. The Government are working closely with such companies to ensure that they make the best of the financing opportunities available to them while these firms may also be eligible for the Government's recently announced schemes to restore the flow of credit to businesses (Working Capital Scheme, Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme and the Capital for Enterprise Fund).
	Along with the regulator OFGEM, the Government are closely monitoring the effects of the credit crunch on the energy sector, particularly on investment plans.

Energy: Consumers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the average monthly change in their expenditure which energy consumers who have not previously switched supplier could achieve by switching supplier.

Mike O'Brien: For an average consumer using 3,300 kWh of electricity and 18,000 kWh of gas per year and paying their bills on receipt (standard credit), the average annual saving from switching would have been £73 at average 2008 prices. If this average consumer also switched to paying their bill by direct debit, the saving would increase to £131 at 2008 prices. Savings of nearly £11 per month are therefore available from switching.
	Data are sourced from section 2 of 'Quarterly Energy Prices', the latest edition of which was published in December 2008 and is available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file49203.pdf

Energy: Meters

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with  (a) energy supply companies and  (b) Ofgem on the practice of using backdated bills for prepayment meter customers.

Mike O'Brien: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including recalibration and replacement of token prepayment meters, and the treatment of any debt that has accrued before recalibration. The Department discusses a range of supply issues with Ofgem on a regular basis and where appropriate, with suppliers.

Energy: Meters

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households had  (a) gas and  (b) electricity pre-payment meters in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) monitors, and publishes information about gas and electricity prepayment customers. From 1998 to 2007, the last period for which data have been published, the number of customers using prepayment meters is:
	
		
			  million 
			   Gas  Electricity 
			 1998 1.4 3.7 
			 1999 1.6 3.7 
			 2000 1.8 3.5 
			 2001 1.8 3.8 
			 2002 2.0 3.7 
			 2003 2.0 3.7 
			 2004 2.1 3.6 
			 2005 2.2 3.6 
			 2006 2.3 3.6 
			 2007 2.3 3.6

Energy: Meters

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of customers paying for  (a) electricity and  (b) gas by pre-payment meters in each (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) constituency.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold information on customer numbers by Government office region, local authority or constituency.
	However, DECC does collect information on the number of customers paying for their electricity and gas by pre-payment meters in each PES (Public Electricity Supplier) area and gas LDZ (Local Distribution Zones). The following table shows the number of customers who paid for their energy using pre-payment meters.
	
		
			   Number 
			  Electricity  
			 East Anglia 347,000 
			 East Midlands 271,000 
			 London 393,000 
			 Merseyside and North Wales 276,000 
			 Midlands 342,000 
			 North East 218,000 
			 North Scotland 106,000 
			 North West 288,000 
			 Northern Ireland 212,000 
			 South East 227,000 
			 South Scotland 335,000 
			 South Wales 167,000 
			 South West 216,000 
			 Southern 300,000 
			 Yorkshire 269,000 
			 UK 3,967,000 
			   
			  Gas  
			 East Midlands 235,000 
			 Eastern 154,000 
			 North Eastern 142,000 
			 North Thames 246,000 
			 North Western 345,000 
			 Northern 181,000 
			 Northern Ireland 61,000 
			 Scotland 177,000 
			 South Eastern 258,000 
			 South Western 124,000 
			 Southern 111,000 
			 Wales 149,000 
			 West Midlands 222,000 
			 UK 2,405,000

Energy: Prices

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to improve the system of pricing for pre-payment fuel meter customers.

Mike O'Brien: Ofgem, the independent regulator, has investigated the charges for different payment methods made by supply companies as part of its recent probe into retail gas and electricity markets. It is now consulting publicly on remedies to prevent energy supply companies from charging unjustified premiums for payment methods such as pre-payment meters. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already told the House that should a satisfactory and timely resolution of this issue not be reached by Ofgem and the companies, he is prepared to legislate.

Energy: Prices

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1372W, on Energy: Prices, when he expects Ofgem to publish its first quarterly report on wholesale and retail prices.

Mike O'Brien: We expect Ofgem to report during February.

Energy: Supply

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to encourage the diversification of energy supply routes.

Mike O'Brien: The UK sees diversity of both sources and routes of gas as vital for the EU's security of supply. Recent events have underlined the importance to the EU of being supplied with gas from a wide range of countries. The development of a southern corridor, with the aim of bringing gas through Turkey to the EU from the Caspian region, and in the longer term from the Middle East, is crucial to that end. The UK therefore strongly supports the efforts of the European Commission and fellow EU member states to develop a southern corridor and is actively engaged in these efforts.
	The Commission's second Strategic Energy Review (SEER2) of November 2008 affirmed the importance of a southern corridor as one of the EU's highest energy priorities and the importance, to that end, of increasing high level political engagement with potential gas supplier countries, such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iraq.
	The European Commission and current Czech presidency of the EU have already signalled their intention to make this a priority for 2009 and we shall be working closely with them.
	The UK also sees it as important for there to be a diverse selection of routes for gas to enter the EU and for this reason we support the building of new pipelines, under market conditions, to bring gas from established suppliers to the EU such as Norway, Russia and Algeria. In addition to pipelines, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), imported by tanker from countries such as Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt and Algeria, can also play an important role in diversifying gas supply to the UK and other EU member states.
	The UK's own security of gas supply has been improved in recent years by new import infrastructure projects such as the BBL (Netherlands-UK) and Langeled (from Norway) pipelines, expansion of the (Belgium-UK) IUK pipeline and the new LNG import terminal at the Isle of Grain. Two further major LNG import terminals at Milford Haven are expected to be commissioned soon.

Fuel Poverty: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) households including at least one child,  (b) households including at least one pensioner and  (c) households were classified as living in fuel poverty in Braintree in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2003, and shows that there were around 3,200 fuel poor households in Braintree. The data are not split by household composition.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the latest date is on which applications for grants from  (a) homeowners and  (b) charities and public sector bodies under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme will be accepted.

Mike O'Brien: The latest date for new applications from homeowners is 30 June 2010 or when the money runs out, whichever is sooner.
	For charities and public sector organisations the closing date for new applications is 30 June 2009. We would like to see eligible organisations making maximum use of the grants programme up to this date.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme: Northumberland

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many successful grant applications have been received by the Low Carbon Buildings programme for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems from households in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) the county of Northumberland.

Mike O'Brien: The low carbon buildings programme has received the following applications for grants for solar photovoltaic systems from households in the county of Northumberland:
	
		
			  Local authority  Technology  Number  Grant offered (£)  Grant paid (£) 
			 Alnwick Solar Photovoltaic 1 2,500.00 2,500.00 
			 Castle Morpeth Solar Photovoltaic 1 2,000.00 not yet completed 
			 Tynedale Solar Photovoltaic 3 8,100.00 5,600.00 
			  
			 Grand total  5 12,600.00 8,100.00

Natural Gas

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in each  (a) Government Office region,  (b) local authority area and  (c) parliamentary constituency which are not connected to the gas grid.

Mike O'Brien: As part of its regional and local energy statistics publication programme, DECC has published the number of domestic gas meter points in each local authority in Great Britain. This information has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Corresponding data are not available for Northern Ireland.
	The Government do not hold this information at parliamentary constituency level.

Natural Gas

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what volume of gas was  (a) exported from and  (b) imported into the UK through each international gas pipeline in each month of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: UK exports and imports of natural gas by month by pipeline from January 2004 to November 2008 (the latest month for which all data are available) are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Exports 
			  Million cubic metres 
			   To Belgium( 1)  To Ireland( 2)  To the Netherlands( 3) 
			  2004
			 January 0 280 24 
			 February 0 282 26 
			 March 96 331 24 
			 April 621 312 23 
			 May 1,121 304 27 
			 June 1,346 268 22 
			 July 1,507 274 22 
			 August 749 278 24 
			 September 71 289 10 
			 October 0 337 17 
			 November 0 310 22 
			 December 0 293 22 
			 
			  2005
			 January 0 277 20 
			 February 0 285 11 
			 March 175 295 50 
			 April 463 316 41 
			 May 686 322 38 
			 June 681 277 34 
			 July 256 208 38 
			 August 81 334 32 
			 September 792 332 17 
			 October 222 301 38 
			 November 14 297 35 
			 December 0 338 35 
			 
			  2006
			 January 0 330 35 
			 February 0 311 32 
			 March 0 371 33 
			 April 360 382 26 
			 May 936 392 24 
			 June 577 368 27 
			 July 833 341 27 
			 August 609 358 16 
			 September 1,140 349 5 
			 October 840 344 26 
			 November 136 384 29 
			 December 71 390 29 
			 
			  2007
			 January 73 417 30 
			 February 97 405 25 
			 March 391 421 26 
			 April 1,037 348 31 
			 May 918 325 30 
			 June 252 360 35 
			 July 754 378 63 
			 August 274 370 81 
			 September 165 377 23 
			 October 527 399 84 
			 November 143 442 87 
			 December 66 414 87 
			 
			  2008
			 January 12 427 99 
			 February 31 438 55 
			 March 23 467 68 
			 April 41 437 86 
			 May 444 417 108 
			 June 527 363 96 
			 July 555 390 79 
			 August 566 382 75 
			 September 374 372 28 
			 October 998 411 60 
			 November 428 438 59 
			 (1) Via the Bacton-Zeebrugge interconnector. (2) Via the UK-Irish gas interconnector. (3) Direct exports from UK (or UK share) gas fields using the Dutch offshore pipeline infrastructure. 
		
	
	
		
			  Imports 
			  Million cubic metres 
			   From Belgium( 1)  From the Netherlands( 2)  Frigg( 3)  Langeled( 4)  Tampen Link( 5)  Vesterled( 6) 
			  2004   
			 January 592 — 49 — 64 784 
			 February 527 — 60 — 79 702 
			 March 204 — 67 — 71 781 
			 April 0 — 70 — 81 331 
			 May 0 — 119 — 86 362 
			 June 0 — 131 — 84 93 
			 July 0 — 158 — 93 311 
			 August 0 — 124 — 68 254 
			 September 20 — 111 — 96 227 
			 October 229 — 42 — 93 608 
			 November 320 — — — 99 1,000 
			 December 447 — — — 86 1,077 
			
			  2005   
			 January 403 — — — 87 1,062 
			 February 413 — — — 50 1,004 
			 March 92 — — — 113 1,057 
			 April 0 — — — 45 1,006 
			 May 0 — — — 88 1,010 
			 June 0 — — — 41 21 
			 July 4 — — — 62 393 
			 August 113 — — — 75 1,068 
			 September 0 — — — 75 957 
			 October 37 — — — 32 889 
			 November 555 — — — 44 1,029 
			 December 589 — — — 55 1,089 
			
			  2006   
			 January 702 — — — 30 1,040 
			 February 1,059 — — — 53 908 
			 March 910 — — — 48 942 
			 April 226 — — — 33 857 
			 May 28 — — — 71 839 
			 June 2 — — — 6 413 
			 July 81 — — — 12 918 
			 August 97 — — — 4 860 
			 September 25 — — 84 27 827 
			 October 45 — — 1,026 14 505 
			 November 182 67 — 1,382 7 740 
			 December 202 773 — 1,481 9 847 
			
			  2007   
			 January 184 762 — 1,370 17 742 
			 February 135 669 — 1,430 24 863 
			 March 0 737 — 1,541 1 922 
			 April 0 647 — 1,414 48 576 
			 May 0 372 — 723 40 355 
			 June 44 363 — 692 9 230 
			 July 0 375 — 525 33 359 
			 August 5 371 — 704 16 403 
			 September 1 254 — 881 36 360 
			 October 28 377 — 1,330 197 729 
			 November 31 1,032 — 1,003 255 458 
			 December 167 1,150 — 1,066 298 691 
			
			  2008   
			 January 450 1,126 — 1,385 296 523 
			 February 166 986 — 1,499 246 783 
			 March 175 1,038 — 1,630 207 885 
			 April 277 850 — 1,091 168 770 
			 May 27 552 — 696 204 634 
			 June 0 523 — 662 192 297 
			 July 1 533 — 1,630 208 519 
			 August 0 500 — 1,197 69 81 
			 September 0 296 — 814 187 34 
			 October 0 489 — 1,617 250 923 
			 November 1 748 — 1,686 205 860 
			 (1) Via the Bacton-Zeebrugge interconnector. (2) Via the Balgzand-Bacton (BBL) pipeline. (3) Norwegian share of the median line Frigg field. Ceased production November 2004. (4) From Nyhamma in Norway to Easington (East Riding of Yorkshire). (5) Norwegian share of gas from the median line Statfjord oil field to St. Fergus (Aberdeenshire). (6) From the Norwegian Heimdal Riser platform to St. Fergus (Aberdeenshire).

Natural Gas: Storage

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to develop gas storage capacity.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are working to facilitate new gas storage projects by implementing the reforms to the consents procedures under the Energy and Planning Acts 2008. National Grid's recent "Ten Year Statement" identifies 17 commercial gas storage projects which, if they all go ahead, could increase GB's gas storage capacity to some 20 per cent. of current annual demand levels by around 2020.

Ofgem: Operating Costs

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost to the public purse of the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets was in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: Ofgem is primarily funded through licence fees. The total cost to the public purse since the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) was formed in 1999 is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total cost (£000) 
			 1999-2000 9 
			 2000-01 1 
			 2001-02 352 
			 2002-03 221 
			 2003-04 682 
			 2004-05 702 
			 2005-06 594 
			 2006-07 646 
			 2007-08 695

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the security of nuclear waste transported by rail in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The transportation of nuclear waste by rail is carried out in accordance with the national security regulations—the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR). The NISR is administered and enforced by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security, which regulates such movements of nuclear waste and is kept fully informed of any relevant intelligence.
	The security of the transportation of nuclear material was reviewed following the events of 11 September 2001 and is regularly reviewed in light of changes to the prevailing threat. OCNS is satisfied that the measures in place to prevent theft or sabotage are adequately robust. In the event that a credible threat were detected, appropriate action would be taken.

Regional Electricity Companies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many electricity supply companies are regulated by Ofgem.

Mike O'Brien: Ofgem has issued 66 electricity supply licences, of which 34 were for the supply of domestic and non-domestic customers. There are 19 active electricity suppliers, of which 11 are both domestic and non-domestic suppliers and eight are non-domestic suppliers only.

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timescale has been established for the introduction of the feed-in tariff scheme.

Mike O'Brien: We plan to consult on the details of feed-in tariffs this summer and we hope the scheme can go live in April 2010.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if the Government will provide greater levels of financial support to homeowners seeking to purchase domestic  (a) wind and  (b) solar technologies.

Mike O'Brien: The existing low carbon buildings programme provides a £86 million capital grants programme for the installation of small scale renewable technologies to householders, communities, public and not for profit organisations. To date over £1.49 million has been committed to 678 domestic wind installations and over £7.9 million to 6,446 domestic solar technology installations and funding is still available.
	We are also providing support to small scale renewables through the renewables obligation (RO). All microgenerators (50kW and under) will receive the highest level of support under the reformed RO from 1 April this year (2ROCs/MWh) to reflect the higher capital costs of small generation technologies. This will provide greater levels of support than previously to domestic wind and PV solar technologies.
	We are considering the transition from grant funding and other incentives to the proposed small scale electricity feed in tariff and the renewable heat incentive support mechanism.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what funding the Government has given to the Bio-energy Capital Grants scheme in each financial year since its inception;
	(2)  what the budget for the Bio-energy Capital Grants scheme in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) each of the next five financial years is.

Mike O'Brien: To date the Government have allocated or spent some £18 million through the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme since the scheme began in 2002. The details are set out in the following table. The funding for many projects spans two or more financial years.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Actual spend by year  Funds committed to projects (not yet spent) 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2005-06 1.733 0 
			 2006-07 0.308 0 
			 2007-08 6.029 0.217 
			 2008-09 0.681 4.295 
			 2009-10 — 4.324 
			 2010-11 — 0.43 l 
			
			 Total 8.751 9.267 
		
	
	A further £4 million in 2009-10 and £8 million in 2010-11 is available to allocate to new projects.
	There are currently no plans to continue the scheme beyond March 2011. The Government will be reviewing their policy on capital grants to support biomass heat projects in light of its intention to introduce a renewable heat incentive.

Tidal Power: River Severn

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons seabed mounted marine turbines were not included as an option for consideration to meet requirements for renewable energy generation in the Severn estuary.

Mike O'Brien: A public call for Severn tidal power scheme proposals led to a long-list of 10 schemes including a proposal based on an array of seabed mounted marine turbines. All long-listed schemes have been investigated within the Severn tidal power feasibility study and an analysis, and recommended shortlist for further assessment, were published for public consultation last month. Proposals based on tidal stream turbines have not been recommended for shortlisting. This is because this technology is at such an early stage of development that detailed assessment is not possible. However, the Government are keen to see these technologies developed further so their potential can be better understood. Alongside existing funding for developing innovative technologies, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced new funding of £500,000 for the development of embryonic proposals. This fund will run in parallel with the feasibility study and the development of these technologies will be reviewed before decisions are taken on whether to take forward a Severn power scheme.
	I expect to announce the final shortlist in the summer after consideration of comments and any further evidence submitted in response to the consultation. Copies of the consultation document are available in the Library of the House or at:
	http://severntidalpowerconsultation.decc.gov.uk
	The consultation closes on 23 April.

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with private equity firms on the provision of future funding for (i) the UK Atomic Energy Authority and (ii) the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

Mike O'Brien: From time to time we receive inquiries from private equity funds seeking to invest in government sponsored programmes and businesses, which also include those administered by UKAEA. We investigate them to understand whether they would represent value for money for the tax payer, although at present there are no specific plans to enter into any such arrangements with regard to UKAEA.
	There have been no discussions with private equity firms on the provision of future funding for the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

Warm Front Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to extend eligibility for the Warm Front scheme to persons over 70 years old who are not in receipt of benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The existing eligibility criteria are under review. Any alterations will be announced in due course.

SCOTLAND

Newport

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 461-62W, on departmental procurement, for what reason representatives from the Scotland Office required overnight accommodation at the resort in South Wales.

Ann McKechin: A quadrilateral Finance Ministers' meeting involving the UK Government and the devolved Administrations was held at the Celtic Manor resort on 8 July 2007. My hon. Friend the Member for Inverclyde (David Cairns) attended this meeting as Minister of State for Scotland, and was supported by two members of staff.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Service Employment

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of the Prime Minister's 100,000 planned new jobs he estimates will be in the civil service.

Tom Watson: The 100,000 new jobs will come mainly from investment in public works. The principal impact will be on jobs in construction and similar industries, for example on schools repairs, hospital programmes.

Government Communications Network

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants are engaged primarily in work for the Government Communications Network.

Tom Watson: The Government Communication Network (GCN) does not directly employ staff. It is a professional network linking all communicators within the UK civil service. The network is supported by a team of eight working in the Cabinet Office, for the Permanent Secretary Government communication.

Departmental Internet

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans the Cabinet Office has to construct an innovation centre in the virtual world Second Life; and what the cost of those plans is.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Work and Pensions through its Electronic Delivery Team has developed an innovation centre which utilises Second Life virtual world technology. The cost of its development has been around £20,000 and the quarterly running costs about £3,000.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Allowances

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what discussions House of Commons officials have had with officials in the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales on systems for  (a) reporting by Members of their expenses to parliamentary authorities and  (b) publication of information on Members' expenses; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: House of Commons officials maintain close working relationships with their counterparts in each of the UK legislatures and regularly contact one another to exchange views and explore methodologies for  (a) systems of accounting for and administering the various allowances and expenses available to elected representatives and  (b) approaches to providing information to the public.

Members: ICT

Rosie Cooper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will take steps to enable hon. Members to connect their Blackberrys to the Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology system.

Nick Harvey: Parliamentary ICT (PICT) is currently conducting a 60-day trial of the Blackberry Enterprise Service. Once the trial has been completed a formal evaluation will be undertaken and recommendations made.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 546W, on trade unions, what guidance and advice has been produced on the use for political activity of the facilities allocated for the exclusive use of the trade unions.

Nick Harvey: Guidance and advice on the use of the facilities allocated for the exclusive use of the trade unions is contained within the House of Commons Facilities Time agreement. The agreement is available on the parliamentary intranet, and a copy will be placed in the Library.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 4-5W, on policy advisers, what political declaration was made by each expert adviser who made such a declaration.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that all the policy advisers referred to in the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official  Report, columns 4-5W, have declared that they have not in the past 10 years: (a) held office (for example chair, treasurer or secretary) of a registered party or accounting unit of such a party; (b) been an employee of a registered party or accounting unit of such a party; (c) held relevant elective office; or (d) donated sums of £1,000 or more to a political party or regulated donee.

Redundancy

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many staff have taken  (a) voluntary and  (b) compulsory redundancy from the Electoral Commission in the last 24 months; and what the total cost of redundancy payments has been, including matching pension contributions.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that during the 24 month period to February 2009, two staff were made redundant on compulsory terms, and 11 staff took voluntary redundancy as part of a restructuring of the party and election finance directorate. The total cost of redundancy payments was £443,000.

TREASURY

Banks: Iceland

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what compensation has been provided by the Government to  (a) individuals,  (b) local authorities and  (c) charities who had deposits with (i) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (ii) Heritable and (iii) IceSave.

Ian Pearson: Heritable and Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF) are UK-based banking subsidiaries of the two Icelandic banks Landsbanki and Kaupthing. On 7 and 8 October 2008 respectively, the FSA concluded that Heritable and KSF no longer met their threshold conditions, and were in default for the purposes of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The Treasury, using powers under the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008, transferred certain accounts of Heritable primarily used by retail depositors and KSF's Edge retail deposit business to ING Direct. The Government also committed to paying out in full FSCS eligible depositors whose accounts were not transferred. The remainders of Heritable's and KSF's businesses were subsequently placed into administration following due legal process.
	On 8 October, the FSA announced that the UK-based branch of Landsbanki was in default for the purposes of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). To maintain financial stability and protect retail depositors, the Chancellor announced that all retail depositors with the Icesave brand of the branch would receive their money in full.
	The Government have put in place arrangements to ensure that all FSCS-eligible depositors with the UK branch of Landsbanki, Heritable or Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander will receive their money in full. If a charity is eligible to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, it will be entitled to benefit from these arrangements.
	For local authorities, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 14 October 2008,  Official Repor t, column 35WS.

Council Tax: Parking

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1218W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned by the Valuation Office Agency with the value significant codes of  (a) VC,  (b) VE,  (c) VH,  (d) VI,  (e) VL,  (f) VM,  (g) VO,  (h) VP,  (i) VR and  (j) VS.

Stephen Timms: Value significant codes indicate the existence of special features that are likely to affect, either negatively or positively, the value of a property. The numbers of dwellings assigned value significant codes by the Valuation Office Agency as at 1 February 2009 is provided in the following table. These data should not be interpreted as definitive, and it should be noted that dwellings can be assigned to several significant codes at any one time.
	A comprehensive exercise to capture information about all value significant features of all domestic properties has not been undertaken, nor is one planned.
	Number of dwellings assigned value significant codes:
	
		
			   Number 
			 VC 9,585 
			 VE 26,490 
			 VH 3,465 
			 VI 1,816 
			 VL 1,530 
			 VM 501 
			 VO 21,990 
			 VP 3,487 
			 VR 13,406 
			 VS 3,443

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what IT security strategy his Department has in place; what steps are being taken to ensure the strategy is being followed; what policy is in place on the use of encryption when data are sent externally; and what sanctions are in place for use should the policy not be followed.

Angela Eagle: Following the publication of a National Information Assurance Strategy in June 2007, the Cabinet Office published a Security Policy Framework (SPF) for HM Government in December 2008, available at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/spf.aspx
	The SPF sets out a number of mandatory measures that all Government Departments must have in place, including those for ensuring that its principles are being followed, and for the use of encryption of data sent externally.
	HM Treasury adheres to the IT security principles set out in this Framework. Any potential cases of the policy not being followed would be investigated, with sanctions taken in accordance with the Department's disciplinary procedures.

Equitable Life

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will authorise interim payments of compensation for maladministration to older people who have lost money with Equitable Life.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The Government have announced their intention to set up a scheme to make ex-gratia payments to Equitable Life policyholders who have been disproportionately affected by events at the society. We believe that it is important to set up a scheme that can pay out as swiftly as possible and will consider all options, but also would not wish to delay the main payments scheme.

Income Tax: Young People

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many 16 and 17 year olds pay income tax.

Stephen Timms: Information on the number of taxpayers by age can be found in table 3.2 "Distribution of median and mean income tax by age, range and gender" on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander: Isle of Man

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the Government's discussions with the Icelandic government on the status of British depositors with Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man).

Ian Pearson: Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Isle of Man is a subsidiary of the Icelandic parent company, Kaupthing. Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man are a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man. Deposits with Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander Isle of Man, will be subject to the Isle of Man Deposit Compensation Scheme.
	In line with usual constitutional arrangements, the Government will represent the Crown Dependencies in its negotiations with the Icelandic authorities. The focus of the negotiations is to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of creditors.
	The IMF Stand-By Arrangement to Iceland, agreed on 19 November, includes Iceland's commitment to
	"ensuring the fair and equitable treatment of depositors and creditors of the intervened banks".

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 16 October 2008, on behalf of Mr Gary Baker, which was acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/61869/2008.

Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) non-domestic rating Referencers Manual and  (b) rating manual.

Stephen Timms: An electronic copy of the current version of the Valuation Office Agency's NDR Referencers' Manual was placed in the Library on 2( )February 2009 following the reply to the parliamentary question PQ0875W 2008-09. The Rating Manual is available for viewing on the Valuation Office Agency's website:
	www.voa.gov.uk

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 46-47W, on political parties: finance, and with reference to the MPs, Ministers and Tax guidance note, whether Labour hon. Members' contributions to fund the services of the Parliamentary Labour Party based in Parliament are classified by HM Revenue and Customs as  (a) a personal donation to a political party and  (b) a cost incurred by an office holder that is wholly, exclusively and necessarily in performance of their Parliamentary duties.

Stephen Timms: As noted in the booklet "MPs, Ministers and Tax", payments by Members to political organisations for party political purposes and any expenses incurred as a member of a political party are not allowable for tax purposes. HMRC would therefore normally classify contributions to fund the services of the parliamentary Labour party as  (a) a personal donation to a political party, regardless of whether those services are based inside or outside Parliament.

Revenue and Customs: Reorganisation

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in Somerset likely to result from the re-structuring of HM Revenue and Customs.

Stephen Timms: As part of the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Relocation programme HMRC has committed to reducing its workforce by 25,000 posts by 2011.
	It is estimated that, by 2011, there will be 90 fewer full-time equivalent HMRC posts located in Somerset than there were in 2008.
	HMRC has given up over 17,000 posts to date. This has been achieved without the need to make staff compulsorily redundant and it is planned to continue with this policy wherever it is reasonable to do so.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Loans

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of lending in the UK by RBS was in January  (a) 2009,  (b) 2008,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2006.

Ian Pearson: Details of UK lending by the RBS group can be found in the Annual accounts which are published at:
	http://www.investors.rbs.com/investor_relations/financial_info/results.cfm

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse has been of administering stamp duty land tax relief for zero-carbon homes.

Ian Pearson: The precise costs of administering individual stamp duty land tax reliefs are not collected but HMRC estimates that those associated with the relief for zero carbon homes will have been negligible to date.

UK Financial Investments: Directors

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many directors are employed by UK Financial Investments Limited; and what the salary of each is.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The UKFI Board will comprise up to nine members, including a private sector Chair, non-executive private sector members, a Chief Executive and senior Government officials. Details are available at:
	http://www.ukfi.gov.uk/
	The salary for paid non-executive board members is £30,000. The Chief Executive is on secondment from HM Treasury; his salary was disclosed in last year's Treasury annual report.
	The company's annual report and audited accounts will be laid before Parliament.

UK Financial Investments: Manpower

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by UK Financial Investments Limited, broken down by Civil Service pay grade.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 February 2009
	UK Financial Investments Ltd. is not part of the civil service, but a small number of civil servants (around five) are expected to be seconded into it. Total staffing is currently expected to be around 15.

Valuation Office: Publications

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1630W, on Valuation Office: Publications, whether the Valuation Office Agency has produced an in-house staff email bulletin or intranet equivalent since June 2007.

Stephen Timms: No.

Valuation: Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual locality groups the Valuation Office Agency uses to classify domestic dwellings in England.

Stephen Timms: As at 1 February 2009, there were 3,886 locality groups covering England.

Valuebill

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local authorities in  (a) England and  (b) Wales use the Valuebill interface to communicate with the Valuation Office Agency.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1647W.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many language translators are employed in her Office; and what the cost of the translating services was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Tessa Jowell: In this financial year to date my private office has not directly employed any translators or interpreters. The Government Olympic Executive has paid the following amounts on language translating services:
	Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Report and Leaflet—Translation to Welsh £1,815 (plus VAT)
	Business Cards—Translation to Mandarin £325 (plus VAT)—for use in Beijing during the Olympic and Paralympic Games
	Translation of a letter into Portuguese £132 (plus VAT)
	Total: £ 2,272 (plus VAT)
	We are awaiting confirmation from the British embassy in Brazil of any interpretation costs arising from my visit to the International Inspiration Programme held there in November.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics for what reason the necessity for alterations to  (a) the roof and  (b) the external wrap of the Olympic Stadium was not identified at an earlier stage in the Olympic budget process; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The decision to include the installation of the temporary structural enhancements required for the opening and closing ceremonies was taken in autumn 2008. This was done to reduce health and safety risks that would have arisen from doing this work after the main construction is complete, as was envisaged under the original plan. The detailed design of the stadium wrap is still being developed.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when Lendlease's exclusivity agreement to build the athlete's village expires.

Tessa Jowell: The exclusivity agreement between the Olympic Delivery Authority and Lend Lease expires on 31 March 2009. There is, however, an option to extend exclusivity by mutual consent.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what costs arising from preparations for and hosting of the London 2012 Olympic Games are estimated to be incurred by  (a) the Metropolitan Police,  (b) the London Fire Brigade,  (c) Transport for London and  (d) the London Development Agency in each financial year until 2012-13; what proportion of these costs will be met by grants from the Olympics Delivery Authority in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The cost of the games remains within the £9.325 billion funding package that I announced in March 2007.
	 (a) and  (b): As already announced this includes a £600 million envelope of provision for policing and wider security, and £354 million for onsite security from within the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) budget. An additional £238 million (within the £9.325 billion funding package) will be made available for contingency if required. Work is continuing to finalise the security strategy and plans within these provisions. Decisions on funding will take account of operational needs of the police, fire and rescue and other agencies, affordability and the need to secure value for money. The ODA does not make grant payments to the Metropolitan Police or the London Fire Brigade.
	 (c) Within the funding package, there is a provision of £864 million for Olympic transport projects, which will be delivered by Transport for London (TfL) and other partners. The ODA and TfL have a funding agreement setting out the TfL-led transport projects, facilities, and services required for the 2012 games (in addition to TfL's ongoing Investment Programme). ODA contributions relating to this activity are covered by the funding agreement. The amount of these contributions is subject to agreement on a project by project basis as each Business case is approved. The estimated total contribution is c. £370 million.
	 (d) Within the £9.325 billion funding package, the London Development Agency (LDA) is directly contributing £250 million of the total London contribution of £1.175 billion (comprising £925 million from GLA of which £625 million is from council tax precepts and £300 million from the LDA; plus the LDA's direct contribution of £250m). The ODA does not make grant payments to the LDA.
	The Government have recently published the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games annual report January 2009, which provides a detailed breakdown of the ODA budget. I have also committed to publishing a financial update on a quarterly basis.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics for how long the £326 million grant from the Olympics Contingency Fund will enable construction of the athlete's village to continue.

Tessa Jowell: The £326 million extra funding for the Olympic Village includes the £95 million announced last year. The £326 million will allow works to continue well into 2010 parallel to on-going negotiations and evaluation of the best value funding option for development of the Olympic Village.

Olympic Games 2012: Medals

Paul Keetch: To ask the Minister for the Olympics 
	(1)  where the medals for the London 2012 Olympics will be struck;
	(2)  which firms tendered for the contract to create the medals for the London 2012 Olympics;
	(3)  where the raw materials for the medals for the London 2012 Olympics will be sourced; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the provision of the medals for the London 2012 Games. No decisions have been taken yet in relation to the medals.
	LOCOG is a private company which raises its income from a variety of commercial sources in order to host and stage the Games. LOCOG may choose to supply the medals for the 2012 Games through a value-in-kind sponsorship deal or through a procurement process. All medals sourced will conform to LOCOG's sustainable sourcing code, which is available on the 2012 website:
	http://www.london2012.com/documents/locog-publications/sustainable-sourcing-code-nov-08.pdf

Olympic Games 2012: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she has received a response from the Olympic Delivery Authority on the monetary value of contracts it has awarded to business organisations in Wales.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 10 December 2008
	 As set out in my letter dated 28 January to the hon. Member, I have received a response from the Olympic Delivery Authority and I have placed this in the House Library.

Olympic Games 2012: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will place in the Library the response from the Olympic Delivery Authority on the monetary value of contracts awarded to business organisations in Wales.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 11 December 2008
	As set out in my letter dated 28 January to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham, I have received a response from the Olympic Delivery Authority and I have placed this in the House Library.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House if she will publish a copy of her Office's website accessibility plan.

Chris Bryant: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is currently reviewing the position of its office website, including accessibility of the site.
	We shall publish any resulting accessibility plan to the House as soon as possible.

PRIME MINISTER

Israel: Anniversaries

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2136W, on Israel: Anniversaries, whether he made a speech at the Israel Embassy's 60th anniversary reception; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2136W.

Members: Surveillance

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister whether any electronic surveillance of hon. Members by  (a) the police and  (b) the intelligence and security services falling within the terms of the Wilson doctrine has taken place in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 8 December 2008,  Official Report, column 15W.

Ministers: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 541W, on Ministers: pensions, whether Lord Falconer of Thoroton is to receive  (a) a pension equivalent to that received by other Secretaries of State in the House of Lords,  (b) a pension entitlement derived from the provisions of the Lord Chancellor's Pension Act 1832 as amended or  (c) a pension settlement on another basis in respect of his service as Lord Chancellor; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the right hon. Member on 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 541W.

National Security

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 111-12WS, on the national security strategy, what progress has been made on the establishment of a joint committee on the national security strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The Government are committed to bringing proposals before the two Houses for the establishment of the new Joint Committee in time for it to consider the next iteration of the National Security Strategy which will be published before the summer recess. We have already had productive consultations with the opposition parties and relevant Select Committee chairs on those proposals and membership discussions are under way.

National Security

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 111-12WS, on the national security strategy, whether any changes will be made to the Intelligence Services Act 1994 in relation to  (a) the Intelligence and Security Committee,  (b) the Defence Select Committee and  (c) the Foreign Affairs Select Committee following the establishment of a joint committee on the national security strategy.

Gordon Brown: No.

Official Residences

John Mason: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which ministerial residences were  (a) occupied and  (b) vacant in each month since May 2005;
	(2)  how many ministerial residences have been  (a) sold and  (b) identified for sale since May 2005; and what steps the Government have taken to identify the notional rental value of each property.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 618W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart about proposals for dialogue between the US and the Taleban in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary recently met with the US Secretary of State, and had a wide-ranging discussion, including on the need for a comprehensive approach in Afghanistan, and a focus on the political as well as military agenda.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss with their US counterparts how best to support Afghan-led efforts to bring disaffected Afghans into society's mainstream, providing they meet the Afghan government's conditions and renounce violence, have no links to Al Qaeda and accept Afghanistan's Constitution.

Africa: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the governments of  (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo and  (b) Rwanda on the serving of the International Criminal Court warrant on Bosco Ntganda; and whether MONUC has also been tasked to take part in such an operation.

Gillian Merron: The UK is strongly supportive of the International Criminal Court. We have reminded the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of its obligations in respect of the warrant for the arrest of Bosco Ntaganda. As far as we are aware, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has received no instructions to act on the warrant. We have not held specific discussions on the warrant with the government of Rwanda, which is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 697W, on apprentices, what progress has been made on increasing the number of apprentices in his Department; and how many apprentices his Department employs.

Gillian Merron: The government wide pathfinder apprenticeship scheme has been rolled-out from September 2008. In the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 64 UK based staff are currently finalising their applications for advanced apprenticeships. The FCO will continue to promote apprenticeships to eligible staff as part of our wider commitment to staff development.
	FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO, runs an advanced apprenticeship scheme for electronic and IT engineers. They currently have 35 advanced apprentices. In September 2008, eight advanced apprentices graduated to substantive positions within technical sections. FCO Services currently plans to recruit an additional 20 advanced apprentices during the financial year 2009-10.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Diplomatic Service

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to propose a UK candidate for the position of High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

David Miliband: The UK has proposed Sir Emyr Jones Parry GCMG for the appointment. Sir Emyr was the UK Permanent Representative to the UN from 2003-07, having served previously as the UK Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Political Director.
	A decision on this appointment is expected by the end of this month.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds his Department contributed to local authority Preventing Violent Extremism projects in 2008, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: None.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he is offering to  (a) those involved in the recent joint military operation against the Lords Resistance Army and  (b) the joint actions of Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo forces in and around Goma.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The UK has not been approached for, nor provided, support to either military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These operations are the result of two regional agreements between the states directly involved in the military action. We welcome the increased regional co-operation between the governments but urge all parties involved to fully respect international law, do all they can to minimise the humanitarian impact and fully co-ordinate with the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC).

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have a central record of the information requested. A comprehensive reply cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which ICT projects his Department initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have a central record of the information requested. A comprehensive reply cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend, the then Minister for Europe, Mr. Hoon, to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir) on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2044W. Since then no significant projects have been abandoned.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints about advertisements sponsored or funded by his Department were made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in each year from 1997 to 2008; and how many of these were upheld by the ASA in each year.

Gillian Merron: None.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at which of his Department's buildings abroad visitors are not permitted to take mobile telephones inside; what the reasons are for that practice; and whether his Department's officials may use mobile telephones in such buildings.

Gillian Merron: For security reasons, visitors to all our missions overseas are required to leave their mobile telephones at the visitor reception point. Officials working at missions are permitted to use their mobile phones only in designated areas.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) uses non-consolidated, non-pensionable bonuses to encourage high performance. We pay annual bonuses to staff in the delegated grades (all except senior managers) based on appraisal evidence of annual performance. The highest rating and bonus award is given only where performance has significantly exceeded challenging objectives and may have radically transformed delivery of policy and/or services. Staff who do not meet performance standards receive no bonus. Total pay-bill for the delegated grades is £181.7 million of which 2.78 per cent. is used for non-consolidated performance payments to staff.
	Variable pay (bonus) arrangements for staff in the Senior Management Structure/Senior Civil Service (SMS/SCS) of the FCO follow a framework set centrally for Whitehall Departments by the Cabinet Office. We use variable pay for SMS/SCS staff to reward excellent individual performance and achievement during the year. Variable pay decisions are based on a judgment by pay committees of what an individual has achieved in comparison with peers. Those who have delivered the best results, and shown real leadership in doing so, receive bonuses. Those who have delivered least receive nothing. Departments were authorised to spend a sum equivalent to 8.6 per cent. of their SCS pay budget on bonuses to reward SCS performance in 2008.
	For the financial year 2008-09 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has allocated a maximum total sum of £7,888,852 for expenditure on non-consolidated, performance-related staff bonuses.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Gillian Merron: The National School of Government, Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies and Development Solutions provide training to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). New fast stream members of the FCO can also undertake a range of training in their first two years in the office, some of which may be delivered by external organisations.
	Some FCO civil servants speak to new entrants at training courses run by external organisations. They do so as part of their role as serving FCO officers. We do not keep a central record of the number of FCO civil servants who have participated in this way and to obtain this information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Diego Garcia: Rendition

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1201W, on Diego Garcia: rendition, for what reasons he has not passed this information to the police; whether he has examined the possibility that criminal offences may have been committed in relation to the two rendition flights through Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 January 2009
	We have considered the possibility that criminal offences may have been committed in relation to the two rendition flights through Diego Garcia. We have very limited specific information about these flights and, despite enquiry, have not been able to establish further details that would be essential for purposes of further investigation.
	We welcome President Obama's Executive Orders of 22 January 2009 covering the closure of Guantanamo Bay, detainee treatment and interrogation (including the practice of rendition). These early moves demonstrate real commitment to address the challenges of violent extremism in a manner consistent with upholding human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular engagements with outside organisations including relevant Government Departments on a range of issues relating to the economy and how they impact upon the UK's foreign policy goals.

Falkland Islands

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the Falkland Islands.

Gillian Merron: Neither my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary nor I currently have any plans to visit the Falkland Islands. I met Falkland Islands Councillor Michael Summers OBE in October 2008, shortly after taking up my current ministerial portfolio. In addition, my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Meg Munn), visited the Falkland Islands in January 2008.

India: Foreign Relations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) meetings and  (b) engagements he had in India during his recent visit.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited India from 13-15 January 2009. In New Delhi, he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Foreign Minister Mukherjee, Home Minister Chidambaram and National Security Adviser Narayanan among others. He visited Uttar Pradesh as the guest of Rahul Gandhi and then Mumbai, where he delivered a speech on terrorism and met some of those affected by the terrorist attacks in November. He also participated in a range of useful meetings and events with various Indian politicians, civil society and the media.

India: Foreign Relations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the state of UK-India relations following his recent visit to India.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited India from 13-15 January 2009. The UK continues to enjoy a close and constructive relationship with India. We have extensive contacts with the Indian government and civil society on a wide range of diplomatic, political, security, economic, trade, development, scientific and cultural issues. We have an extensive network of posts in India staffed from several departments across Whitehall who work to promote UK interests in India.
	Government Ministers also have regular discussions with their Indian counterparts about bilateral, regional and global issues. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to improving relations with India even further in 2009 and beyond.

Iran: Politics and Government

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to  (a) the government of Iran and  (b) the recent Iranian delegation to London comprising five members of the Iranian-British Parliamentary Group on the disputed sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Tunb and Lesser Tunb islands in the Strait of Hormuz; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Government have not made any representations to the government of Iran, nor to the recent delegation of five members of the Iranian Parliament to London, on the disputed sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Tunb and Lesser Tunb islands.
	The UK regards this dispute as a matter for resolution between the countries concerned.

Kashmir

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart about Jammu Kashmir.

Bill Rammell: On 14 January 2009, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir with Indian External Affairs Minister Mukherjee. The Foreign Secretary also discussed Indian-administered Kashmir with External Affairs Minister Mukherjee on 2 September 2008 and 24 October 2008.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: Our assessment is that the current situation in Gaza is very concerning. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary are in close touch with their counterparts working to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made to  (a) the United Nations and  (b) the protagonists in Gaza seeking an immediate ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza between 28 December 2008 and 5 January 2009.

Bill Rammell: The UN Security Council met on 27 December 2008 to discuss the conflict in Gaza. On 28 December 2008, a UK-French proposal for a press statement calling for an immediate halt to violence was agreed. On 1 January 2009, we started looking at suitable language which ultimately became UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1860. Throughout this period, the UK was in continuous communication with key partners at the UN. Following three days of Security Council meetings, which were attended by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, UNSCR 1860 was adopted on 8 January 2009.
	We were in continuous dialogue with the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority.
	We do not believe it is productive to talk to Hamas directly until it makes significant movement towards the Quartet principles of rejecting violence, accepting Israel's right to exist and recognising previous agreements. The Arab League has mandated Egypt to communicate with Hamas. We are in regular contact with both the Arab League and Egypt.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Israel on the use of white phosphorus shells in Gaza in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: We are very concerned about reports of white phosphorus ammunition being used by the Israeli defence force in Gaza. We have made this clear directly to both the Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv.
	I have also made clear to the House that Gaza is an exceptionally densely populated area where white phosphorus used as an air burst is liable to cause particularly horrific injuries to non-combatants. We consider such use in these circumstances unacceptable.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to take into account the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel's wall in the West Bank when implementing the human rights provisions of the EU-Israel trade agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Government agree with the conclusion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that construction of the barrier along the chosen route, and its associated regime, is unlawful under international law. Building the barrier on occupied land is contrary to international law.
	The Government have consistently made this position clear and supported the United Nations General Assembly Resolution which acknowledged the ICJ advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of the barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory.
	While the implementation of the provisions of EU agreements is the business of the European Commission, we continue to value the platform that the EU/Israel Association Agreement gives EU member states to raise their concerns, such as those concerning the route of the barrier, with the Government of Israel.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Ambassador on the use of white phosphorus shells in Gaza since 27 December 2008.

Bill Rammell: We are very concerned about reports of white phosphorus ammunition being used by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza. We have made this clear directly to both the Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 116, on Palestine, what steps he has taken to ensure that allegations that the Israeli defence force used  (a) white phosphorus and  (b) dense inert metal explosive bombs during its recent actions in Gaza are investigated by international agencies.

Bill Rammell: We are gravely concerned at widespread allegations that Israel and Hamas have violated international humanitarian law. These allegations have been made publicly by credible organisations such as the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross. During his 19 January 2009 statement,  Official Report, column 501, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for them to be closely and speedily investigated.
	We expect Israel to investigate allegations made against its forces, and have made this clear to the Israeli Government.
	In addition, the UN Human Rights Council has decided to send an international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government is involved in an international investigation on whether war crimes were committed by Israel in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 3 February 2009
	We are gravely concerned at widespread allegations that Israel and Hamas have violated international humanitarian law. During his statement to Parliament of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 501, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for them to be closely and speedily investigated.
	The UN Secretary-General has launched a Board of Inquiry into the shelling of UN premises in Gaza. The UK fully supports this inquiry and we urge all parties to co-operate with it.
	We also expect Israel to investigate allegations made against its forces, and have made this clear to the Israeli Government.
	In addition, the UN Human Rights Council has decided to send an international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 604W, on the Middle East: armed conflict, what the reasons are for the Government's policy on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We assess all arms export applications on a case by case basis against the criteria covered by the EU Common Position on arms export controls which creates legal obligations on the UK to consider arms export licence applications in this way. We believe this provides a transparent, consistent and effective way to manage responsibly the export of arms from the UK. My right hon. Friend the late Robin Cook when Foreign Secretary explained in this House why we have adopted this policy in his response to my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) on 28 July 1997,  Official Report, column 26. My right hon. Friend, the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Hain), reiterated this explanation in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt) on 26 October 2000,  Official Report, column 199W.
	In assessing current licence applications for Israel we take very carefully into account the recent conflict in the region. We will not authorise an export if to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria in the EU Common Position on arms export controls: this includes, for example, where there is a clear risk of exports being used either for internal repression or for external aggression the export licence is not granted.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports the Government has received on war crimes allegedly committed by the government of Israel during Operation Cast Lead; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are gravely concerned at widespread allegations that Israel and Hamas have violated international humanitarian law. These allegations have been made publicly by credible organisations such as the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for them to be closely and speedily investigated in his statement to Parliament of 19 January 2009, Officia l Report, column 501.
	The UN Secretary-General has launched a Board of Inquiry into the shelling of UN premises in Gaza. The UK fully supports this inquiry and we urge all parties to co-operate with it.
	We also expect Israel to investigate allegations made against its forces, and have made this clear to the Israeli government.

Saudi Arabia: Festivals and Special Occasions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his most recent correspondence with the British Ambassador in Saudi Arabia on the Hajj pilgrimage and Mr. Gorgi took place; when he last met the Ambassador to discuss the Hajj pilgrimage; how many British citizens  (a) sustained injuries and  (b) died of unnatural causes while making the Hajj pilgrimage in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years; and what estimate he has made of the number of UK residents who travelled to Saudi Arabia to undertake the pilgrimage in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with our ambassador in Saudi Arabia who keeps him appraised of issues including the Hajj. And the ambassador and his staff are in regular contact with the Minister of Hajj and Ministry officials. The ambassador's most recent correspondence with Mr. Gorgi was in August 2008 in reply to your letter of 2 July 2008. During the 2008 Hajj there were no reports of British nationals sustaining injuries and no deaths from unnatural causes which is the same for 2007. In December 2006 there were three deaths and 30 sustained injuries in a coach crash, in January 2006 three died in a stampede and two sustained injuries and in 2005 and 2004 there were no deaths from unnatural causes and no injuries.
	The numbers of British nationals making pilgrimages over the last five years are 18,604 in 2008, 21,715 in 2007, 24,000 in December 2006, 25,000 in January 2006, 27,910 in 2005 and 22,270 in 2004.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk to which British civilians in Sri Lanka are exposed.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 29 January 2009
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice sets out our view of the risk to Britons in Sri Lanka. It is regularly reviewed and updated. Our Travel Advice currently advises against all travel to the north and east of Sri Lanka and to Yala National Park and all the areas around it. The current Travel Advice also highlights that there is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka and that further attacks may occur at any time.
	For further details see:
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) civilian and  (b) military casualties in the recent fighting in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are seriously concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation and reports of civilian casualties. It is not possible to obtain accurate information on civilian and military casualties, due to the ongoing military hostilities and the lack of independent information emerging from northern Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of allegations that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam used the 48-hour time frame granted by the Sri Lankan government for safe passage for civilians to regroup and mount attacks on the Sri Lankan security forces.

Bill Rammell: The UK continues to have serious concerns about the humanitarian and security situation in northern Sri Lanka. The military hostilities and the lack of independent information coming out of the conflict area make it difficult to get accurate information. However, in spite of calls for a 48-hour ceasefire to allow civilians safe passage to government controlled areas, there is little evidence to suggest that there was any significant cessation of hostilities on the ground by either party. In addition, we are aware that a female suicide bomber blew herself up as she travelled with civilians fleeing the fighting while being checked by Sri Lanka government soldiers, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens more.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the Sudanese peace process of the arrest of Hassan al-Turabi; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 3 February 2009
	Dr. Hassan al-Turabi is not directly involved in either the Darfur peace process or the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). However, the arrest and detention without trial of a senior opposition political figure does not contribute to a political atmosphere in which free and fair national elections can be held, as required by the CPA.
	We continue to call upon the government of Sudan to guarantee its citizens the basic rights and freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Interim National Constitution.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the adequacy of levels of co-ordination of international efforts to promote peace and development in Sudan.

Gillian Merron: International efforts to promote peace and development in Sudan are co-ordinated through a broad range of organisations and forums. In addition to formal co-ordination via the multilateral system, we support the Assessment and Evaluation Commission, which monitors the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and secured the appointment of Sir Derek Plumbly as its chair. We have concerted closely with the African Union/UN Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassolé since his appointment in June 2008 and encouraged those wishing to contribute to peace efforts, such as civil society organisations and other international partners, to work with him. We have led efforts to co-ordinate development policy through the Sudan Consortium, and the UK is one of six donors delivering development through the Joint Donor Office, which has become a focal point for donor co-ordination in southern Sudan.

United Arab Emirates: Politics and Government

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the United Arab Emirates government on the disputed sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Tunb and Lesser Tunb islands in the Strait of Hormuz; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Government have received no such representations. We would support any solution acceptable to both parties.

Zimbabwe: Peacekeeping Operations

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of success of current attempts to form a coalition government in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 30 January 2009 following the acceptance by the Movement for Democratic Change of the power sharing accord brokered at the South African Development Community summit on 26 January 2009. The statement, which gives his assessment on the recent political developments in Zimbabwe, can be viewed at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=News&id=13022532

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Career Structure

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees were promoted from Band B (Administrative Officer) to Band C (Executive Officer) in his Department in 2008; how many of these were under 21 years at the time of taking up the Band C post; and how many Band C employees in his Department are under the age of 22 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the number of staff promoted from Band B to Band C in the Department in 2008. Also included in the table is the number of those staff promoted who were under 21 years and finally, the total number of Band C staff employed at 31 December 2008 who are under 22 years.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Band B to Band C promotees 2,936 
			 Those promotees under 21 years old 5 
			 Total number of Band C employees under 22 years old 27

Departmental Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 2024-5W, on redundancy, what estimate he has made of the annual payroll savings accruing to his Department as a result of staff exit schemes in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 , (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09 excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Jonathan R Shaw: The savings for staff exit schemes are shown in the following table. Information on savings is not held on an in year basis but is calculated by taking into account the total salary savings up to ten years after the exit or when the member of staff reaches age 60, whichever is earlier.
	
		
			  Estimated savings 
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 540 
			 2006-07 240 
			 2007-08 320 
			 2008-09 25 
			  Note: 2008-09 figure is up to end of January 2009 
		
	
	Savings are calculated in line with normal Government accounting principles and are on a net present value basis.
	No estimates of savings have been made for 2009-10 and 2010-11 as latest workforce planning forecasts indicate there will be minimal, if any, use of exit schemes over these years.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP fast streamers have undertaken training with a number of external organisations. The information available is listed as follows. Records for 2006-07 are not held. In addition, most fast streamers will have undertaken other training as part and parcel of their specific jobs which will have been funded within the respective businesses; these records are not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	 2008-09 Suppliers
	Trekforce
	National School for Government
	Speak Languages
	Blazie Engineering
	Dale Carnegie
	Parity
	The University of London
	Westminster Explained
	Birkbeck College
	York University
	The Open University
	Newcastle University
	Raleigh International
	Skern Lodge

Departmental Written Questions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the internal guidance used by his Department to assign traffic light gradings to Parliamentary Questions.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1075W.

Employment and Support Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of applicants for employment support allowance have successfully passed the Work Capabilities Assessment since it was introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP will be publishing National Statistics on employment and support allowance in summer 2009.

Employment Schemes

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the preferred bidders for implementation of the welfare-to-work programme; and when he expects to announce the outcomes of the bidding process.

Tony McNulty: Preferred bidders for Flexible New Deal contracts have not yet been identified.
	We will inform bidders who have been shortlisted in April, with contracts being awarded by the end of May 2009.

Employment: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to maintain specialist expertise in the  (a) procurement and  (b) delivery of specialist disability employment services during the current consultation exercise.

Jonathan R Shaw: Following the recommendations made in the Government's White Paper, "Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future", DWP has been discussing with specialist providers of employment support and representatives of disabled people how best to implement our decisions. These discussions have included workshops across England, Scotland and Wales covering the design of the new provision and the commercial approach to procuring the programme.
	The commissioning and procurement will follow the principles set out in the Commissioning Strategy, Cm 7330, in adopting a prime contracting strategy that will allow niche, specialist providers to play their full part.

Industrial Health and Safety: Nuclear Power

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the budget of  (a) the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate,  (b) the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and  (c) the Health and Safety Executive is allocated for administration costs in 2008-09.

Jonathan R Shaw: The answer is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1 : 2008-09 
			  Percentage 
			   Nuclear Installations Inspectorate  Office for Civil Nuclear Safety  Health and Safety Executive (including Nil and OCNS) 
			 Staffing costs as a percentage of total forecast expenditure(1) 73 59 49 
			 Other Administration costs as a percentage of total forecast expenditure(2) 7 11 29 
			 Total Administration costs as a percentage of total forecast expenditure 80 70 78 
			 (1) Staffing costs cover permanent staff payroll costs and the cost of staff substitutes such as agency workers. (2) Other Administration costs for Nil and OCNS include other general administration expenditure such as the cost of travel, training and consumables but exclude budgets managed centrally such as estate costs, IS/IT and other centrally managed functions. Conversely, the HSE "Other Administration Costs" have no such exclusions.

Pension Schemes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place to aid those customers unable to use personal identification numbers in relation to their pension payments.

Rosie Winterton: Customers unable to use personal identification numbers (PINs) can be paid into an account that offers alternative access arrangements (for example a chip and signature card or building society passbook). They could also access their money by cashing a personal cheque or, where appropriate, allowing a third party access to their account. Those who are unable to operate an account of any kind are currently paid by cheque.

Pensions Ombudsman

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) guidance and  (b) directions he has issued to the Pensions Ombudsman on the exercise of its discretion not to investigate cases.

Rosie Winterton: None. The Pensions Ombudsman is an independent commissioner. It would be improper for Ministers to seek to influence the exercise of his discretion.

Post Office Card Account

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1644W, on Post Office card account, if he will publish the normal principles of commercial confidentiality applied by his Department.

Rosie Winterton: The normal principles of commercial confidentiality applied by this Department have been published in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act working assumptions document which is derived from the FOI Act itself. The working assumptions document is available on the Ministry of Justice website under FOI procurement guidance
	www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foi-assumptions-procurement.htm.

Social Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the results of the consultation on the Social Fund conducted by his Department in November 2008.

Kitty Ussher: The results and response to the informal consultation document The Social Fund: A new approach". Were published on 23 February on the DWP website:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2008/sf-new-approach-response.pdf

Social Security Benefits

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to amend the processing of benefits claims by ending the requirement for documents to be physically moved or sent by fax between benefit offices.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 February 2009
	Our strategy is to remove paper from the benefit administration process as far as possible.
	The Pensions, Disability and Carers Service has just conducted a pilot of an electronic document management system within one of the pension centres whereby all incoming documents are electronically scanned. Subject to evaluation this will be introduced nationally to the other pension centres beginning later this year and consideration is being given to its introduction into disability benefit operations. This system will end the need to physically pass documents between offices as they will be available electronically from a central source.
	Jobcentre Plus is about to begin a project looking at the scope for paper reduction across its processes. The ability to transfer and store information electronically will be considered as part of that process.

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for each type of benefit claimed through call centres, what the  (a) average processing time and  (b) number of new benefit claims waiting to be processed was in respect of claims made through each call centre in each of the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the average processing times, and number of new benefit claims waiting to be processed in respect of all Jobcentre Plus call centres over the last 24 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I have placed the available information in the Library.
	I hope this is helpful.

Unemployment Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to review the provision of contribution-based out of work benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We keep the benefit system under continuous review to ensure that it continues to provide effective and appropriate support to people. This includes ongoing consideration of the contributory principle and contribution conditions for individual benefits. For example, we have reviewed the provision of contributory Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance, as set out in the White Paper "Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future." (CM: 7506)
	The Welfare Reform Bill, which was introduced on 14 January 2009, contains clauses to give effect to the planned changes. We want to modernise access to contributory benefits, strengthen the link to recent employment and simply the benefits system.

Vocational Training

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the progression to work pathfinder programmes are to be delivered  (a) wholly and  (b) partially by (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) a private sector provider and (iii) a voluntary sector provider.

Tony McNulty: The Progression to Work pathfinders will, subject to the successful passage of the current Welfare Reform Bill, start in late 2010 and cover around 10-15 per cent. of the new employment and support allowance claimants and parents with younger children.
	It is likely that employment and support allowance claimants will be supported through a mix of Jobcentre Plus and private and voluntary sector providers, with some further specialist services provided by the national health service and specialist private and voluntary sector providers. This reflects the current balance of activity within the Pathways to Work programme. For parents with younger children, it is likely that the pathfinders will be delivered through a mix of Jobcentre Plus and private and voluntary sector providers, delivering assistance through the Jobcentre Plus Support Contract.

Winter Fuel Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which of the weather stations used for determining the payment of cold weather payments have recorded temperatures of zero degrees celsius or less on seven consecutive days since 25 December 2008; and how many days each such weather station recorded below freezing temperatures in each interval of cold weather in that period;
	(2)  which weather stations used to determine cold weather payments have recorded temperatures below freezing on  (a) two,  (b) three,  (c) four,  (d) five,  (e) six and  (f) seven or more consecutive days since 25 December 2008.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested regarding recorded temperatures on consecutive days is not held by this department as this is not how the award of cold weather payments is determined.
	A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode. What matters is actually the average temperature over seven consecutive days, rather than the temperatures on seven consecutive days. For example, if the temperatures at a weather station on seven consecutive days were 0, 1, 0, -1, 0, 0, 0, then the average temperature over the seven consecutive days would be 0 and cold weather payments would be made for that week, even though the temperature on one day was actually greater than 0.
	The following table provides information on the number of cold weather payment triggers this winter.
	
		
			  Cold weather payment triggers by weather station in Great Britain so far this season — triggers notified to 12 February 2009 
			  Weather station  Admin area  Number of triggers 
			 Aberporth Ceredigion 1 
			 Albemarle Northumberland 4 
			 Andrewsfield Essex 3 
			 Aultbea Highland 0 
			 Aviemore Highland 5 
			 Bedford Bedfordshire 3 
			 Bingley West Yorkshire 3 
			 Bishopton Renfrewshire 2 
			 Boscombe Down Wiltshire 3 
			 Boulmer Northumberland 0 
			 Braemar Aberdeenshire 6 
			 Brize Norton Oxfordshire 2 
			 Cardinham (Bodmin) Cornwall 1 
			 Carlisle Cumbria 3 
			 Cassley Highland 4 
			 Charlwood West Sussex 3 
			 Charterhall Scottish Borders 2 
			 Chivenor Devon 1 
			 Coleshill Warwickshire 3 
			 Crosby Merseyside 1 
			 Culdrose Cornwall 0 
			 Dundrennan Dumfries and Galloway 2 
			 Dunkeswell Aerodrome Devon 3 
			 Dyce (Aberdeen Airport) Aberdeen 1 
			 Edinburgh Gogarbank Edinburgh 1 
			 Eskdalemuir Dumfries and Galloway 6 
			 Filton South Gloucestershire 2 
			 Heathrow Greater London i1 
			 Hereford-Credenhill Herefordshire 2 
			 Herstmonceux West End East Sussex 1 
			 High Wycombe Buckinghamshire 3 
			 Hum (Bournemouth Airport) Dorset 2 
			 Isle of Portland Dorset 0 
			 Kinloss Moray 3 
			 Kirkwall Orkney 0 
			 Lake Vyrnwy Powys 3 
			 Leconfield East Riding of Yorkshire 0 
			 Lerwick Shetland 1 
			 Leuchars Fife 2 
			 Linton on Ouse North Yorkshire 2 
			 Liscombe Somerset 4 
			 Loch Glascarnoch Highland 6 
			 Loftus Redcar and Cleveland 1 
			 Lusa Highland 1 
			 Lyneham Wiltshire 3 
			 Machrihanish Argyll and Bute 0 
			 Manston Kent 1 
			 Marham Norfolk 1 
			 Norwich Airport Norfolk 1 
			 Nottingham Nottinghamshire 2 
			 Pembrey Sands Carmarthenshire 1 
			 Plymouth Plymouth 0 
			 Redesdale Northumberland 4 
			 Rhyl Denbighshire 2 
			 St. Athan Vale of Glamorgan 1 
			 St. Catherine's Point Isle of Wight 0 
			 Salsburgh North Lanarkshire 3 
			 Scilly St. Mary Isles of Scilly 0 
			 Sennybridge Powys 4 
			 Shap Cumbria 5 
			 Shawbury Shropshire 2 
			 South Farnborough Hampshire 3 
			 Stornoway Airport Western Isles 0 
			 Thorney Island West Sussex 1 
			 Tiree Argyll and Bute 0 
			 Trawsgoed Ceredigion 2 
			 Tulloch Bridge Highland 5 
			 Valley Anglesey 0 
			 Waddington Lincolnshire 2 
			 Walney Island Cumbria 0 
			 Wattisham Suffolk 3 
			 West Freugh Dumfries and Galloway 0 
			 Wick Airport Highland 1 
			 Wittering Peterborough 3 
			 Woodford Greater Manchester 4 
			 Yeovilton Somerset 3 
			
			 Great Britain  154 
			  Note: The admin area gives the location of each weather station, not the area which is linked to the weather station. For example, Heathrow weather station covers almost all of Greater London, but not all of it, and some areas outside Greater London are linked to Heathrow weather station.  Source: Admin areas for weather stations: the Met Office, October 2008

Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residence

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many winter fuel payments were made to persons living outside the UK in the financial year 1996-97;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of winter fuel payments made to persons living in  (a) Spain,  (b) Italy,  (c) Greece,  (d) Portugal and  (e) other countries outside the UK in the last financial year.

Rosie Winterton: People are not able to get a winter fuel payment in another European economic area country if they left the United Kingdom before 5 January 1998. This is because they will have left before the scheme began.
	Following a decision in 2002, people who previously qualified for a winter fuel payment in Great Britain may be able to continue receiving payments if they move to other European economic area countries or, from 2002-03, move to Switzerland.
	Figures for 2007-08 are as shown in the following table, we expect the figures to be similar for 2008-09.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments made to the following countries: 2007-08 
			  Country  Number 
			 Spain 27,270 
			 Italy 921 
			 Greece 864 
			 Portugal 1163 
			 Other countries outside UK 25,315

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Business Link

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff were employed by Business Link in each region in each year since Business Link was established.

Ian Pearson: The number of staff employed by Business Link in each region in each year for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 North West 384 246 
			 North East 275 348 
			 Yorkshire 325 337 
			 East Midlands 168 178 
			 West Midlands 126 240 
			 East of England 175 200 
			 London 160 118 
			 South East 340 363 
			 South West 288 307 
			 Total 2,241 2,337 
		
	
	Staff numbers are shown as full-time equivalents employed by the Business Link provider(s) in each region. The number of staff employed includes all frontline staff, adviser support and back-office staff (in some instances this includes those delivering other programmes, for instance European funded programmes which are not BL branded).
	Business Link started in 1992 and has undergone two major rationalisations, in 1998 with the creation of the Small Business service and in 2007 when day-to-day management was devolved to the RDAs. Consequently, staffing data prior to 2007 are not available.

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Patrick McFadden: For the last 10 years the Department's, and its predecessors, IT services have in the main been provided through a PFI agreement with Fujitsu Services and covers the provision of all desktop services, web infrastructure services, document management and other business database applications. As such the Department does not actually own any databases it uses but rather pays a service charge for maintenance and support of them. In the years in question the Department has paid, or is paying, the following for maintenance of its database services, (based on financial years of 1 April to 31 March):
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006 2.4 
			 2007 2.6 
			 2008 3.0 
		
	
	The variance in costs is accounted for by the end of some database services and the introduction of others, plus, where appropriate, agreed inflation increases.
	The above figures exclude databases used by the Energy Group, previously part of BERR but now part of DECC. The costs for their databases in the years in question are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006 l.0 
			 2007 1.0 
			 2008 1.5 
		
	
	The Department does not maintain central records of databases owned and managed by its agencies so I have approached the chief executives of The Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 26 February 2009:
	I refer to your question (2008/1105), to ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.
	I have been asked to reply for The Insolvency Service, which is an executive agency of that department.
	The cost of maintaining databases owned and managed by The Insolvency Service are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006/07 100,898 
			 2007/08 368,483 
			 2008/09 153,835 
		
	
	Please note that the costs are for Financial years, rather than calendar years and we have estimated the total cost of 2008/09.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 26 February 2009:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 5 February 2009, UIN 256138, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by Companies House was as follows:
	
		
			  Year  Cost (£) 
			 2006 3,863,000 
			 2007 4,389,000 
			 2008 2,544,000

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Ian Pearson: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform produced six equality impact assessments during the period April 2007 to March 2008. They are listed at pages 106-7 of the Department's Annual Report and Accounts, which is available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/aboutus/corporate/performance/annual-spending/page47093.html
	The estimate of the cost to the public purse of producing such assessments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Furniture: Credit

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will monitor the effects on the furniture industry of the withdrawal of credit insurance.

Ian Pearson: This Department is currently in discussions with the credit insurance industry regarding the withdrawal of credit insurance.
	We welcome continued engagement between representatives of the furniture industry and this Department on this issue and others.

Iraq

Liam Fox: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many civil servants from his Department have worked in  (a) Basra,  (b) Baghdad and  (c) other locations in Iraq in each month since 2005.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment's representation in Baghdad included one UK based civil servant between January 2005 and July 2007. One other UK based civil servant was employed in Basra between January 2005 and August 2006.
	UKTI is increasing its presence in Iraq and has recently employed two new locally engaged officers in Baghdad to support British companies, in addition to two private sector business specialists.

Newspaper Press

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what programmes his Department has to assist the newspaper printing industry, with particular reference to printers of local newspapers.

Ian Pearson: The Department provided £2.3 million funding over five years starting in 2002 to set up Vision in Print, a print industry forum, aimed at driving up the efficiency and competitiveness of the UK printing industry. Vision in Print continues to provide support to many UK printers today. The Department was also involved in a number of initiatives to support the industry including part funding a technology mapping report aimed at providing a better understanding of future technology needs and the direction of the UK print industry.
	As with other sectors, the printing industry has access to the Government's Real Help for Business programme which is currently helping all UK businesses deal with the immediate financial and economic challenges. Further to announcements made by the Chancellor in the pre-Budget report, a new package of support to address the cash flow, credit and capital needs of businesses was announced on 14 January.
	The regional development agencies are also a source of local support to companies in their region, which includes companies in the printing industry.

Pharmaceuticals

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has had with representatives of the biopharmaceutical industry on the effects of the economic downturn on levels of innovation in their industry.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 February 2009
	I met various representatives of small and medium sized biotechnology companies on 29 January 2009. A number of issues were raised concerning the current economic environment and its impact on the bioscience sector, although the issue of innovation was not specifically raised.
	On 27 January 2009, my noble Friend, the Minister for Economic Competitiveness and Small Business participated in a meeting of biopharmaceutical business leaders, chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The overarching aim of the meeting was to identify a long-term framework to help the UK maintain its world class bio-pharmaceutical industry, including measures to encourage research and reward innovation.

Pharmaceuticals

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support his Department provides for small and medium-sized companies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 February 2009
	The Government recognise that many companies across the economy are facing challenges because of the tougher credit conditions and that is why my noble Friend the Secretary of State announced a package of measures last month to address the cash flow, credit and investment needs of small and medium sized companies. Businesses, including firms in the biopharmaceutical industry, can find out about eligibility for the new schemes from Real Help for Businesses Now web page hosted by Business Link: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
	The biopharmaceutical industry is important to the UK economy and the Government are alert to the challenges and changing needs of the sector. In view of this, the Government invited Sir David Cooksey to chair an independent review of the 2003 Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team Report "Bioscience 2015" to measure progress against its 2015 vision and to identify new ideas and proposals that could positively affect the future competitiveness of the UK biosciences sector. The Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015 was published on 22 January 2009 and its recommendations are currently being considered by the Government. A formal response will be issued in the spring.

Small Businesses: Closures

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses which have closed in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) the UK in each of the last 12 weeks.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 22 January 2009
	Quarterly data on business closures are not available.
	Annual data on the number of enterprise closures for 2007 (latest data available) are published by the Office for National Statistics in the Business Demography publication, which is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk= 15186&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=422.

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will increase the funding available under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Ian Pearson: The enterprise finance guarantee (EFG) was launched on 14 January 2009, replacing the small firms loan guarantee (SFLG).
	For further details on EFG I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs gave on 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1457W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Dr. Turner).

Sri Lanka: Arms Trade

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what monetary value of defence equipment sales to Sri Lanka was for  (a) lethal and  (b) non-lethal equipment in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The Government publish detailed information on export licences issued, refused and revoked, by destination, including the overall value and a summary of the items covered by these licences, in its Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls.
	The Government's Annual Reports, published since 1997, and Quarterly Reports, published since 2004, are available from the Libraries of the House and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/publications/annual-reports/export-controls1.
	The reports do not distinguish between lethal and non-lethal equipment, which would in practice require a subjective judgment. The reports do however make a distinction between military and dual-use goods, which are separately identified according to the relevant control lists.
	The Government do not approve any defence related exports if it judges that there is a clear risk that they will be used in contravention of the Consolidated Criteria, including for external aggression or internal repression. We routinely refuse export licences where we believe there is a risk of this, and have refused a number of licences to Sri Lanka on this basis.

Working Capital Scheme

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Working Capital Scheme has been approved by the European Commission.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 February 2009
	The Commission's approval for this scheme is being sought under the terms of the Commission Communication 2009/C 10/03 "The recapitalisation of financial institutions in the current financial crisis" published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 January 2009.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

National Fraud Reporting Centre

James Brokenshire: To ask the Solicitor-General when the National Fraud Reporting Centre will be fully operational; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) consists of an Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Reporting Centre.
	An NFIB pilot is under way and has identified new counter-fraud intelligence, which is being investigated. Discussions are under way with potential suppliers for provision of a final solution.
	The NFRC will offer the public and small businesses web and telephone-based services to report non-urgent frauds and receive fraud prevention advice. This service is planned for a national roll-out towards the end of 2009, with a regional pilot starting in summer 2009.

Rape: Prosecution Policy

Martin Linton: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent representations she has received on prosecution policy in rape cases.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution Service has recently received representations on its policy on prosecuting rape cases. With my approval, the CPS has refreshed its policy statement to reflect those representations, as well as changes in the law and practice, a number of initiatives to assist victims in giving evidence and to address again the myths and stereotypes that are thought to sometimes wrongly influence juries. The refreshed policy statement will be published shortly.

Attorney-General

Simon Hughes: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the role of the Attorney-General.

Vera Baird: The Government are still looking in detail at the proposals on the future role of the Attorney-General, in light of the recommendations of the Joint Committee on the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill and the Justice Committee. While that is going on, the Attorney-General and I continue to discharge the role of dispensing independent legal advice to the Government, upholding the rule of law and superintending the prosecution services.

Negligence: Parents

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases of parental neglect have been brought by the Crown Prosecution Service in  (a) England and  (b) Northamptonshire in the last three years for which figures are available.

Vera Baird: Cases of parental neglect are usually brought under s1(1) Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (cruelty to a person under 16). The following table shows the number of these offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in each of the last three years.
	Section 1 of the 1933 Act relates to offences committed by persons with responsibility for a child or young person, not just to parents, and it is not possible to identify from the records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) how many of the relevant offences were committed by a parent.
	
		
			  Crown Prosecution Service: offences reaching a hearing in magistrates court 
			  s1(1) Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (parental neglect) 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 England 1,395 1,448 1,474 
			 Northamptonshire 18 12 4 
			 England and Wales 1,535 1,567 1,592

Theft: Prosecutions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General how many successful prosecutions have been brought for offences of  (a) theft and  (b) burglary from shops in the last three months.

Vera Baird: The records maintained by the Crown Prosecution Service do not separately identify cases of theft or burglary from shops. The information could be retrieved by locating and examining individual case records, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost—Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Arrests: Mentally Ill People

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests of a person with a mental health disorder took place in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The data requested are not collected centrally The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) recorded by the police forces in England and Wales.
	From the data on arrests reported to the Home Office it is not possible to separate data for the number of arrests of a person with a mental health disorder.

Asylum

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons solicitors acting for the applicant in Home Office case ref no. LR2184026425 have not received a substantive response to the application for their client's settlement under policy DP069/99; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member for Thurrock on 25 February 2009.

Asylum: Ethiopia

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications made by Ethiopian citizens and their dependants were  (a) granted and  (b) refused (i) by the UK Border Agency and (ii) on appeal to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in (A) each of the last five years and (B) at the latest date in 2009 for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The accompanying tables show the available information on initial decisions made on applications for asylum from nationals of Ethiopia, from 2004 to 2008, including grants and refusals of asylum. It also shows the outcome of appeals against refusal of asylum by Ethiopian nationals between 2004 and 2008.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Statistics for Q1 2009 will be available in May 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Initial decisions( 1,2)  on asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, including dependants, 2004 to 2008, nationals of Ethiopia 
			   Decisions 
			  Ethiopia  Total decisions  Grants of asylum  Grants of humanitarian protection  Grants of discretionary leave  Total refusals 
			 2004 710 15 — 130 565 
			 2005 435 10 — 40 385 
			 2006 250 20 — 20 210 
			 2007(3) 120 30 — 10 85 
			 2008(3) 90 15 — 5 65 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5, (— = 0, * = 1 or 2). (2) Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. (3) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Appeals outcomes determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal( 1) , excluding dependants, nationals of Ethiopia, 2004 to 2008 
			  Principal appellants 
			   Appeals determined by Immigration Judges( 2) 
			Allowed( 3)  Dismissed( 3)  Withdrawn( 3,4) 
			  Ethiopia  Total determined( 3)  Total  As percentage of determined  Total  As percentage of determined  Total  As percentage of determined 
			 2004(5) 830 220 27 580 70 25 3 
			 2005 655 160 25 485 74 10 2 
			 2006 210 60 28 140 67 10 5 
			 2007(6) 155 45 30 105 66 5 4 
			 2008(6) 55 15 29 35 64 5 7 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5 (except percentages), with '*' = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) All figures for appeals determined are cases dealt with by Immigration Judges. (3) Based on information supplied by the AIT. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period. (4) Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office, as well as those withdrawn by the appellant. (5) Data on appeal outcomes are derived from Immigration and Nationality Directorate electronic sources. (6) Provisional figures.

Asylum: Ethiopia

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were made by Ethiopian citizens and their dependants  (a) on grounds of political opinion and  (b) in total in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) at the latest date in 2009 for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The number of Ethiopian nationals who applied for asylum on political grounds between 2004 and 2008 and from the beginning of 2009 to date would be available by examination of individual case-files only at disproportionate cost.
	The accompanying table shows the available information on applications for asylum for nationals of Ethiopia, 2004 to 2008.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Statistics for the first quarter of 2009 will be available in May 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum applications( 1)  received in the United Kingdom, including dependants 2004 to 2008, nationals of Ethiopia 
			  Number of persons 
			   Applications 
			  Ethiopia  Total  Port  In country 
			 2004 585 140 445 
			 2005 425 50 375 
			 2006 215 30 185 
			 2007(2) 90 15 80 
			 2008(2) 140 10 125 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5, (— = 0, * = 1 or 2) (2) Provisional figures

Departmental Mass Media

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which  (a) keywords and  (b) terms her Department has monitored in the media in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 8 December 2008
	For the period in question the following terms for national and regional print media monitoring were used (Annex 1). These terms continue to be used for our national print media monitoring. A separate set of keywords has been used for regional print media since 1 November 2008 (Annex 2). A further set of themes (Annex 3) was used to monitor coverage of the National Offender Management Service for the period in question until this policy transferred to the newly created Ministry of Justice.
	 Annex 1:
	 Home Office national and regional cuts themes
	 Policing, security, crime and community safety
	 Policing and Security
	Major police operations
	Police reform
	Changes to Police force structures
	Police clear-up rates and detection rates
	Neighbourhood policing
	Changes to police powers and procedures
	Home Office's Police Standards Unit
	Police Pay and conditions inc pensions, overtime
	Police funding and resourcing
	Occupational health and police sickness
	Manpower and recruitment
	Special Constables
	Civilian support staff inc. Community Support Officers
	Police equipment including scientific research and development, criticisms, TETRA, Airwave, Police Scientific and Development Branch
	Less lethal alternatives to firearms—tasers, CS gas, etc.
	Police corruption, complaints, discipline
	Independent Police Complaints Authority (IPCC)
	Very significant stories about individual police authorities, chief constables and forces
	Major speeches or articles by individual Chief Constables
	Significant coverage of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Federation, and the Association of Police Authorities, particularly if they are either supportive or critical of Home Office policy.
	All mentions of SOCA the Serious Organised Crime Agency, and its chair Stephen Lander and director Bill Hughes.
	People trafficking—organised crime angle.
	Measures to disrupt organised crime
	Financial crime e.g. confiscation of assets
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)—all mentions.
	Public order—e.g. riots, marches and demonstrations
	Football hooliganism
	Stop and search—under PACE and under Terrorism Act
	Firearms—including policy and law, replicas, incidents involving police use of firearms
	Traffic law and review of road traffic penalties—do not cut drink driving campaigns
	Bugging and interception/monitoring of communications
	Use of intercept as evidence
	The Forensic Science Service, especially privatisation and DNA stories.
	Terrorism including, international co-operation
	Terrorism arrests and investigations
	Anti-terrorism legislation including Terrorism Act 2000, Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
	Proposals for new terrorism laws and powers
	Security service/Ml5
	 Crime and Community Safety
	Minor crime stories should not be cut. The reporting of major crimes, particularly those that should be cut, and should include the eventual sentencing.
	Major crime stories raising political, contentious, emotive or moral issues e.g. sexual offences cases, child abuse, pornography, violent crime committed by children.
	Crime, disorder and violence including violent crime, burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, theft, gun crime and hate crime
	Alcohol related violence/binge drinking
	Anti-social behaviour, RESPECT agenda
	Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
	Fixed Penalty notices (NOT ones for motoring offences) and Penalty Notices for Disorder
	Crime statistics and British Crime Survey
	Crime reduction initiatives, crime prevention, campaigns, Neighbourhood Watch
	Drug treatment programmes, drug-testing, Drug Intervention Programme
	Drugs Act 2004
	FRANK campaign
	Legalisation, decriminalisation and reclassification of drugs, including, reclassification of cannabis
	Calls for changes to classification of Drugs—including khat, methamphetamine (aka crystal meth, tina) and articles about new drugs of misuse or new drug taking trends
	Drugs misuse including heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, amphetamines, Ketamine, Class A drugs, Class B drugs, Class C drugs
	Combating drugs misuse
	Prescription of heroin to addicts—policy and law
	Policing of illegal drugs including cannabis possession, crack houses and crack dens Medicinal use of cannabis
	Drugs statistics
	Drug seizures
	Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
	Supply and trafficking of drugs
	Sex offences and sex offenders including Sexual Offences Act 2003, sex offenders register, extreme images, child protection, prostitution (criminal policy aspects) and pornography on the internet
	Violent crime and offences including rape, familial homicide and domestic violence
	Victim of crime issues
	 Immigration and identity
	 Immigration
	All coverage of UK immigration and asylum policy.
	Immigration matters within the EU
	Individual cases—e.g. removed asylum seekers, deportations, immigration offenders
	Immigration removal and induction centres—including Oakington, Yarls Wood, Harmondsworth, Colnbrook, Dungavel and Dover Induction Centre.
	National Asylum Support Service (NASS)
	Support for asylum seekers—healthcare, education, housing.
	Unaccompanied children seeking asylum
	Refugee integration policy
	Nationality and citizenship including citizenship classes.
	Migrants from the new EU 'accession states'.
	Illegal workers
	The size of the illegal population.
	Illegal immigrants from France/Belgium/Holland.
	People trafficking—when strong immigration angle.
	 Identity
	Identity and Passport Service
	Passport cards and biometrics
	Identity cards
	Criminal Records Bureau
	 International and other responsibilities
	 International
	Major extradition proceedings and changes to extradition law/policy
	Mutual legal assistance cases
	Coverage of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) councils and informals
	EU Commissioner (Franco Frattini) comments on UK Home Office policies
	EU Treaty articles mentioning JHA opt-in
	EU developments on Home Office policy issues
	Schengen (not mere mentions)
	 Other
	Broad brush criminal justice pieces—strategy, Criminal Justice System
	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority accounts
	Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR)
	Race in the criminal justice system
	Animals—NB: most old Home Office policy areas re. Animals have now moved to DEFRA.
	 Animal testing
	Policy on scientific procedures involving living animals
	Regulation and licensing of scientific procedures
	Animal Rights Extremists, protests against experiments on living animals—e.g. SHAC, Huntingdon Life Sciences
	Calls for Royal Commission on animal experimentation
	Freedom of Information Act
	Official Secrets Act
	 Home Office general
	All other mentions of Home Office and Home Office Ministers and senior civil servants:
	 Annex 2:
	 Regional keywords—used since 1 November 2008
	 Names (all regional and local titles)
	Home Office Minister and Senior Officials
	 Organisations (all regional and local titles)
	Home Office
	UK Border Agency OR Border and Immigration Agency
	Identity and Passport Service
	Criminal Records Bureau
	General Register Office
	Independent Safeguarding Authority
	National Policing Improvement Agency
	Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
	Forensic Science Service
	Please also search for acronyms-UKBA, BIA, IPS, CRB, GRO, ISA, NPIA, ACMD, FSS.
	 Policing and security (regional dailies only)
	Police funding
	Police AND bureaucracy OR red-tape
	Neighbourhood policing
	Police pay
	Policing pledge
	Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act OR RIPA
	Stop and search (only articles commenting on appropriateness of)
	MI5 OR Security Service
	Terrorism or terrorist
	DNA database
	 Crime and Community Safety (regional dailies only)
	Knife crime
	Gun crime
	Violent crime
	Sex Offenders Register
	Alcohol AND disorder OR violence
	Drugs AND classification
	Antisocial behaviour
	Not interested in individual incidents/arrests unless the article comments on a wider problem/issue or the Government's response.
	Crime statistics
	 Immigration (all regional and local cuttings)
	Immigration OR migration
	Immigrant OR migrant
	Ignore articles about other forms of migration, e.g. birds
	Asylum seeker
	Asylum
	Only in an immigration context
	Border AND control OR security
	Illegal worker OR illegal working
	Points Based System
	Refugee
	Human OR people trafficking
	People smuggling
	 Identity etc. (regional dailies only)
	Identity card OR ID card
	Identity fraud
	National Identity Scheme
	Regional passport office
	Passport AND interview
	Not interested in stories that just contain the word 'passport'
	Family records centre
	 Annex 3:
	 National Offender Management Service (NOMS)—Prisons and Probation—used until the creation of MoJ in May 2007
	 Prisons
	The National Offender Management Service runs 140 prisons in England and Wales and supervises the contracts held by the companies Serco, Securicor, UKDS, Premier Prisons, Reliant Custodial Services and GSL which run the private prisons and court escort services. All stories relating to or mentioning these prisons in any way are to be cut. These might include stories about suicides (self-inflicted deaths), escapes, absconds, assaults, riots and other such incidents within prisons, visits to prisons by Ministers or VIPs, charity events, educational or recreational activities of prisoners/prison staff and work initiatives undertaken within prisons.
	 Policy
	All stories with any reference to prisons policy.
	 Related Organisations
	Any major story relating to the Scottish Prison Service or the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the chief inspector of prisons (HMCIP) or inspector of probation (HMIP).
	Any story mentioning the following organisations:
	UNLOCK
	Prison Officers' Association (POA)
	Prison Governors' Association (PGA)
	National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (NACRO)
	The Howard League for Penal Reform
	The Prison Reform Trust
	Smart Justice
	Parole Board
	Stories mentioning the prison related activities of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP), Group4, UK Detention Services (UKDS) or any other company interested in tendering for custodial contracts from the Prison Service.
	 Probation
	The other organisation which comes under NOMS is the National Probation Service. All stories relating to the management of offenders in the community are to be cut.
	 Ministers/Senior Officials
	 Keywords
	Life sentence prisoners are of particular interest; keywords to look out for include:
	Life imprisonment
	Lifer
	Life sentence
	Automatic life sentence
	Murder/Murdered
	Killer/Murderer
	Manslaughter
	Her Majesty's pleasure
	Discretionary lifer/Discretionary Lifer Panel
	Detained for life
	Section 2 Crime Sentences Act
	Parole Board
	Life licence
	Life licensee

Deportation

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in agreeing arrangements with other countries to protect the human rights of individuals deported from the UK to those countries in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 9 February 2009
	A memorandum of understanding concerning the provision of assurances in respect of persons subject to deportation on grounds of national security was signed with Ethiopia on 12 December 2008.
	Copies of the memorandum of understanding, and the associated side letters, have been placed in the Library of both Houses and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

Deportation: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents of Peterborough constituency are awaiting determination of an application for indefinite leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 20 January 2009
	The number of applicants that are awaiting determination in respect of their applications for indefinite leave to remain in the Peterborough constituency is 185.

Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Answer of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1435W, on mobile detention centres; what the  (a) cost and  (b) outcomes of the Northampton pilot have been; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The aim of the mobile detention pilot was to test a vehicle with both detention and detainee transport capabilities in a range of operational scenarios to assess how it complements the existing fleet of vehicles. The pilot ran in the East Midlands between 29 September and 31 October 2008.
	The Mobile Detention Facility provides UKBA officers with a secure 'field' location in which to interview suspected immigration offenders, detain them for a short period of time and then transport them as appropriate to their next destination, for example, to an Immigration Reception Centre or Immigration Removals Centre, without relying on the availability of police resources or the deployment of UKBA escorting contractors to do this.
	During the five week pilot, 22 foreign nationals were encountered of which 14 were interviewed further as suspected immigration offenders of which six were subsequently identified as such and transported to an Immigration Removals Centre. These individuals were processed more quickly using the Mobile Detention Facility capabilities than would otherwise have been the case.
	In addition to this direct benefit, the provision of UKBA staff in the liveried vehicle at remote locations allowed for direct interaction with lorry drivers and members of the public to promote the work of UKBA, raise awareness about deterring so called 'lorry drops' and provide a conduit for the collation of additional intelligence to help secure the UK border.
	The cost of this pilot was from within existing resources and is commercial in confidence in light of the contractual Non-Disclosure Agreement in place with the vehicle's provider.

Detention Centres: Detainees

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) adult females,  (b) adult males and  (c) children were detained in an immigration removal centre in each year since 2000.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is not available; the Home Office has however published the number of adults and children recorded as leaving detention in the UK solely under Immigration Act powers between January 2005 and September 2006. Information outside this time period is not available.
	National Statistics on how many females, males and children are detained on a quarterly snapshot basis is available in table 10 of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom publication at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/immiq408.pdf
	and from the Library of the House.

Geert Wilders

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what powers she prohibited Mr. Geert Wilders from entering the UK.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State considered that in her opinion Mr. Wilders' presence in the UK would pose a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society. She asked that her view be taken into account if Mr. Wilders sought admission to the UK. When Mr. Wilders attempted to enter the UK on 12 February 2009, the immigration officers who considered his entry were satisfied that his exclusion was justified on grounds of public policy and/or public security, in accordance with regulation 21 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006. He was therefore refused admission to the UK under regulation 19 of the same regulations.

Immigration: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the Peterborough City Council administrative area are appealing against refusal to grant indefinite leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 146W, on deportation: Peterborough.

Offenders: Deportation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the UK Border Agency does not collate information on the number of prisoners returned under the early removal scheme.

Phil Woolas: Details relating to the number of foreign national prisoners who have either been deported or removed under the Early Removal Scheme is held, however, due to known data quality issues, it is not possible to centrally collate that information. This means that in order to provide that information, it would be necessary to examine individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	In her letter of 23 July 2008 to the Home Affairs Select Committee, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency advised that around a fifth of all foreign national prisoners who are deported or removed, are removed from prison an average of 180 days prior to their release date. A copy of her letter is available in the Library of the House.

Police: Herefordshire

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Herefordshire constabulary in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007; what estimate she has made of the number of police officers there will be on 31 December 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Herefordshire falls within West Mercia constabulary, whose full-time equivalent police officer strength was 2,040 as at 31 March 1997 and 2,400 as at 31 March 2007. Figures exclude officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity for like-for-like comparison between the two years requested.
	Information on police authority projections of police service strength is not routinely collected. It is for chief constables and police authorities to decide how best to use the resources available to them when setting levels of police officers, staff and PCSOs.

Security Guards: National Insurance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security industry employees who applied to the Security Industry Authority for registration were found to have used false national insurance numbers in their applications in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available. However, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 15 July 2008,  Official Report, column 323W.

Terrorism

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many major terrorist plots were disrupted by bodies for which her Department is responsible in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not currently held in the format requested.
	As the director general of the Security Service has made clear, the Security Service is currently tracking 30 terrorist plots, comprising of 200 groupings or cells and totalling around 2,000 individuals.
	In 2008, 50 people have been convicted in 18 significant terrorism cases. Of these 50, 21 individuals pleaded guilty.
	In 2007, 36 individuals were convicted in 14 significant terrorism cases. 21 of these individuals pleaded guilty.

UK Border Agency: Lost Property

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 329W, on the UK Border Agency: lost property, how many files the figure of less than 0.2 per cent. represents; how many principal immigration case files the UK Border Agency holds; and from which date that file holding commences.

Phil Woolas: The figure of less than 0.2 per cent. represents around 17,300 files that are temporarily lost on the system out of a total holding of 9.9 million files. The files in storage date back to 1950, with earlier dates having been retained by the National Archives or have subsequently been securely disposed of.

Visas: Overseas Students

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was to determine applications for foreign medical students to extend their student visas in the last period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The information is unavailable in the format requested and could be obtained by examination of individual case records and therefore only at disproportionate cost.

Visas: Overseas Students

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign students were  (a) granted and  (b) refused student visas for the purpose of completing medical training in the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The information is unavailable in the format requested and could be obtained by examination of individual case records and therefore only at disproportionate cost.

JUSTICE

Care Proceedings: Fees and Charges

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average fee charged to local authorities on receipt of an application for care proceedings to the courts was in England and Wales in the latest period for which information is available.

Bridget Prentice: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided on 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1555W.
	The fee to issue an application under section 31 of the Children Act 1989 is fixed at £2,225. Two additional fees may be charged at a later stage of the process if the stages are required. A full list of fees for family proceedings is set out in the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008. This order came into force on 1 May 2008.

Civil Servants: Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bonus payments were made in 2007-08 to  (a) senior civil servants and  (b) other staff of (i) the Judicial Appointments Commission and (ii) the Office of the Public Guardian in 2007-08; and how much was paid in total.

Shahid Malik: I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 347W.

Commonhold

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 851W, on commonhold, what issues the consultation document on commonhold tenure was intended to cover; and what the timetable for a decision on whether to publish is.

Bridget Prentice: No date has yet been set for the publication of the commonhold consultation paper. This paper is intended to identify any changes that need to be made to the commonhold legislation to address any actual or perceived barriers to take-up. Topics covered will include consideration of developer's rights; cost sharing arrangements for complex developments; ways of providing shared ownership; conversion from leasehold and issues relating to termination.
	As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Peterborough, we are reviewing our plans for publication in the light of other priorities and I will make a statement when a decision has been made.

Cremation: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1291-92W, on Department for Constitutional Affairs Cemetery and Burials Advisory Group, and the minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Board on 25 February 2008, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the sub-group on guidance on memorial safety;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1291-92W on Department for Constitutional Affairs Cemetery and Burials Advisory Group, and the minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Board on 25 October 2007, if he will place in the Library a copy of the completed survey data report undertaken in association with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health on the number and cost of local authority welfare funerals;
	(3)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1291-92W on Department for Constitutional Affairs Cemetery and Burials Advisory Group, and the minutes of the meeting of the Advisory Board on 23 March 2007, if he will place in the Library a copy of the opinion on memorial safety prepared by the Church of England Legal Advisory Commission and circulated to members of the Advisory Group;
	(4)  with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1291-92W, on the Department for Constitutional Affairs Cemetery and Burials Advisory Group, and the minutes of meetings of the Advisory Board of 9 March 2006, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on memorial safety produced by Mr. Jon Wallsgrove for Coroners Division;
	(5)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting of his Department's Burials and Cemeteries Advisory Group in the last 24 months.

Bridget Prentice: All agreed minutes of the Advisory Group meetings are already available from the Library. The draft minutes of the last meeting in October 2008 will be considered next month and, once agreed, a copy will be provided for the Library. I am also arranging for copies of the minutes of the meetings of the memorial safety sub group to be placed in the Library, together with copies of the other material requested.

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy for his Department to sign the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

Michael Wills: The Government welcomed the Promise as a commendable initiative to raise awareness of the importance of effective data protection safeguards, particularly for those organisations with no similar commitments already in place.
	The Government take data protection very seriously. Following the Cabinet Office Review of Data Handling Procedures in Government, Departments have implemented a raft of measures to improve data security.
	We are considering actively with the ICO how the Promise might add additional value to those measures we have already signed up to. These include the Information Charters, the recommendations of the Data Handling Review and the Thomas/Walport Review and, of course, our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act and other legislation and regulations.

Departmental Internet

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which documents series which his Department and its predecessors formerly published in paper form have been made available solely via his Department's website in the last five years.

Michael Wills: Ministry of Justice (MOJ) uses its website to publish its documents as the primary delivery channel for external audiences including the direct.gov and HMSO websites.
	There are low levels of hard copies produced for some documents for internal use and some documents are produced in alternative formats when requested.
	MOJ can identify a series of IT security guides and research and statistical papers that were formerly published in paper form and are now solely produced online. A list of these is as follows.
	The Ministry is using electronic publishing wherever possible to reduce print costs, be more environmentally sustainable and to provide access for as wide an audience as possible.
	 Statistical publications from May 2007 to February 2009;
	 Civil Justice
	Company winding up and bankruptcy petitions;
	Mortgage and landlord possession statistics.
	 Criminal Justice
	Criminal Statistics Annual Report;
	Race and the Criminal Justice System;
	Motoring Offences and Breath (Tests);
	Arrests—recorded annually;
	Women and the Criminal Justice System;
	Average time from arrest to sentencing for persistent young offenders.
	 Courts and Sentencing
	Sentencing Statistics for England and Wales (quarterly);
	HM Courts user surveys;
	Time intervals for criminal proceedings in magistrates courts;
	Local variation in sentencing;
	End of custody licence releases and recalls;
	Mentally disordered offenders.
	 Prison and Probation
	Offender Management caseloads;
	Population in custody;
	Prison population projects 2008 to 2015;
	Probation statistics brief.
	 Re-offending
	Re-offending of adults 2006 results;
	New measures for re-offending;
	Re-offending of juveniles 2006 results;
	Local adult re-offending.
	 Coroners and burials
	Coroners—statistics on deaths reported;
	Survey of burial grounds—results of a survey in England and Wales.
	 Freedom of Information
	Freedom of Information Act: Implementation in Central Government (quarterly).
	Since June 2008 research reports and summaries released by the research and analysis directorate as part of the Department's research series, have been subject to electronic publication on the MOJ website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research.htm.
	 Research publications since June to November 2008:
	Explaining attitudes towards the justice system in the UK and Europe;
	Restorative justice and re-offending;
	Witnesses and victim experience survey: early findings;
	Implementing services for women offenders and those 'at risk' of offending;
	County court antisocial behaviour co-ordinators—a pilot scheme;
	Early evaluation of the victims of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act;
	Inform, persuade and remind—An evaluation of a project to improve public confidence in the criminal justice system;
	The problems and needs of newly elected prisoners;
	Factors linked to re-offending;
	Evaluation of the victims' advocate scheme pilots;
	Piloting penalty notices for disorder on 10 to 15-year-olds.
	 IT Security Guides for internal use only
	IT Security Awareness Guide;
	Remote Working and Mobile Computing Guide;
	IT Systems Operations and Management Security Guide;
	Project Manager's Guide to IT Security.
	 IT product catalogue and order forms for internal use only
	catalogue for former Aramis users;
	catalogue for former Libra users;
	catalogue for former LOCCS users;
	plus order form.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1597-98W, on departmental written questions, which question for which the cost of answer was estimated to be over the disproportionate cost threshold was answered.

Michael Wills: The question that was estimated to be in excess of the disproportionate cost threshold was tabled in March 2008 by Baroness Stern (HL2252). It asked how many new imprisonable offences have been created since May 1997. The information was collated manually across the whole of Government therefore my noble Friend Lord Hunt gave an undertaking to write to Baroness Stern in his answer of 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column WA314, when the information was available. My noble Friend Lord Bach wrote to Baroness Stern on 24 November with a full response. A copy of the letter was also placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Discrimination: Civil Proceedings

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) companies and  (b) other organisations have (i) been subject to a legal claim of discrimination and (ii) lost a discrimination claim (1) twice, (2) from three to five times, (3) from six to 10 times, (4) from 11 to 20 times and (5) 21 times or more in the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Employment Tribunal does not keep the information which the hon. Member has requested in readily available format. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Tribunal keeps data on the total number of appeals received, the discrimination jurisdiction and the number of appeals where claimants have been successful.
	
		
			  Table 1:  Discrimination claims accepted 2004-05 to 2007-08 
			  Discrimination jurisdictions: sex, race, disability, equal pay, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age 
			  Discrimination jurisdiction  Financial years 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Age n/a n/a 972 2,949 
			 Disability 4,942 4,585 5,533 5,833 
			 Equal pay 8,229 17,268 44,013 62,706 
			 Race 3,317 4,103 3,780 4,130 
			 Religion or belief 307 486 648 709 
			 Sex 11,726 14,250 28,153 26,907 
			 Sexual orientation 349 395 470 582 
			  Notes: 1. Age discrimination jurisdiction came into force in October 2006. 2. This data is for ALL. organisations subject to a legal claim of discrimination.  Source:  FT Annual Statistics 2004 to 2007 and ET Central Database. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  Discrimination claims where claimant successfu l( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Financial year  Successful at tribunal  ACAS conciliated  Default judgments 
			  Age
			 2004-05 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2006-07 0 56 n/a 
			 2007-08 56 800 9 
			 
			  Disability
			 2004-05 236 2,280 n/a 
			 2005-06 173 1,849 n/a 
			 2006-07 149 2,014 n/a 
			 2007-08 178 2,258 13 
			 
			  Equal Pay
			 2004-05 20 1,559 n/a 
			 2005-06 3,722 1,441 n/a 
			 2006-07 126 499 n/a 
			 2007-08 678 1,512 5 
			 
			  Race
			 2004-05 107 1,215 n/a 
			 2005-06 119 1,064 n/a 
			 2006-07 102 1,173 n/a 
			 2007-08 121 1,295 15 
			 
			  Religion or belief
			 2004-05 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005-06 9 126 n/a 
			 2006-07 12 176 n/a 
			 2007-08 14 233 0 
			 
			  Sex
			 2004-05 299 3,157 n/a 
			 2005-06 4,068 3,031 n/a 
			 2006-07 463 2,302 n/a 
			 2007-08 469 3,100 39 
			 
			  Sexual Orientation
			 2004-05 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005-06 14 129 n/a 
			 2006-07 21 157 n/a 
			 2007-08 29 231 2 
			 (1 )The statistics are compiled from the point of view of the claimant, that is, if a jurisdiction is recorded as successful at tribunal it means that the claimant was successful and the respondent was unsuccessful. (2 )Table 2 shows successful hearings of the cases disposed of each year. There can be differences between receipts and disposals as some cases are considered in future years. Cases can be withdrawn, struck out, dismissed at preliminary hearing and this is reflected in the difference between table 1 and table 2. (3 )Included in the table are cases that were successful at tribunal, conciliated at ACAS and for 2007-08 default judgements(4) found in favour of the claimant. (4 )Default judgments can be made when the respondent either fails to send in their response to a claim or fails to supply the required information. In these cases an Employment Judge can decide the case on the papers without the claimant having to attend a tribunal.  Source:  ET Annual Statistics and ET Central Database.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued to electoral registration officers on following up non-responses to the electoral canvas  (a) by post and  (b) via a home visit; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which local authorities employed doorstep canvassers to compile the 2008 electoral register; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on staffing of their electoral registration departments.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to this exact question from the hon. Gentleman on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 999W, it is not known how many local authorities employed doorstep canvassers during the 2007 annual canvass, as this information is not collected centrally.
	However, the performance standards framework established by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 will allow the collection of data on the performance and activities of electoral administrators, including EROs.
	The Electoral Commission published a final set of performance standards for electoral registration officers in Great Britain in July 2008. These standards require EROs to provide information on their use of house to house inquiries and of canvassers. The Commission intends to publish results of ERO self-assessments against the performance standards in spring 2009.
	The Electoral Commission is responsible for issuing guidance to EROs on electoral registration matters, including managing the annual canvass and the appointment of canvassing staff. The appointment of permanent members of staff to electoral services departments is the responsibility of local authorities.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what procedures are in place governing consultation by electoral registration officers of other  (a) local and  (b) central Government databases for the purposes of (i) cross-checking and (ii) augmenting their preparation of electoral registers;
	(2)  if he will bring forward proposals to amend data protection legislation to allow local and national authorities to share information in order to increase voter registration.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to a similar question from my hon. Friend on 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 242W, relating to the use of databases, Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) are required to take all steps that are necessary for the purpose of complying with their duty to maintain the electoral registers, and these steps include inspecting any record which the ERO is permitted to inspect by law.
	Assisting EROs in meeting their obligations falls within the Electoral Commission's remit, as does issuing guidance to EROs more generally.
	The Electoral Commission has issued guidance to EROs encouraging them to use the power to inspect records and advises of the sources that may be inspected, which will help to provide and cross-check additional information to assist them in their registration duties.
	The Government remain concerned about the need to address levels of under-registration in Great Britain and is currently considering what further steps can be taken to increase access to national databases by EROs, involving local and public authorities could be established for this purpose.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will issue guidance to local authorities on increasing the rate of voter registration; and if he will produce a league table to indicate each local authority's performance in increasing the rate of voter registration in their area;
	(2)  if he will publish the guidelines his Department issues to electoral registration officers on home visits to electors who have not registered to vote; and what assessment he has made of the level of local authority compliance with such guidelines;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken to encourage illiterate and semi-literate electors to register to vote;
	(4)  what progress has been made on increasing electoral registration rates;
	(5)  what performance indicators were set for each stage of electoral registration in each local authority area in each of the last 12 years; and what the performance of each authority against these indicators was.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Justice explained in answer to similar questions from the hon. Member on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1001W), responsibility for issuing guidance to electoral registration officers (EROs) on electoral registration lies with the Electoral Commission. Guidance issued offers suggestions on increasing registration rates amongst under-represented groups, such as electors with learning difficulties or low levels of literacy. In addition, the guidance advises on the activities that EROs must undertake to meet section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006, which placed a new duty on them to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register, including sending the annual canvass form more than once and making house visits.
	The number of people registered to vote in Great Britain as reported by the Office for National Statistics is increasing. Following the 2007 annual canvass the number of parliamentary electors grew by 307,669 to 45,082,854; and the number of local government electors grew by 463,340 to 45,920,503. The Office for National Statistics is expected to publish figures for the 2008 annual canvass by the end of February 2009.
	The Government have no current plans to produce a league table of electoral registration officers' performance. However, the performance standards framework established by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 will allow the collection of data on the performance and activities of electoral administrators, including EROs.
	The Electoral Commission published a final set of performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain in July 2008, details of which have been laid before the House. One of the standards will provide information on the use of house to house inquiries and canvassers by administrators. The Commission will publish the results of EROs' self-assessments against all of the standards in spring 2009.
	The Government are not aware of national indicators being previously set in the last 12 years.

Electoral Register: Advertising

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much  (a) the Government and  (b) local authorities have spent on advertising for voter registration in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much funding for electoral registration has been  (a) allocated to and  (b) spent by each local authority in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how much each local authority spent on electoral registration in  (a) total and  (b) per elector in each of the last 11 years;
	(4)  how much each local authority spent per elector on voter registration listed in descending order of amount of expenditure in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(5)  how much was spent on advertising to increase levels of electoral registration in  (a) the Government and  (b) each local authority in each of the last 10 years.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to similar questions from my hon. Friend on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 999W, funding for electoral registration activities such as advertising is included in the local authority formula grant issued by central Government. Once these funds are allocated, decisions on how it is utilised are a matter for the local authorities concerned. As a result, it is not known how much was spent in total or per elector for electoral registration in the last 11 years, as this information was not collected, and thus no rankings are available.
	However, as part of its work in developing performance standards for electoral services, the Commission launched a financial information survey across Great Britain on 10 September 2007. Electoral registration officers and returning officers were asked to complete the survey and return it by 31 July 2008. The Commission is currently analysing this information in conjunction with CIPFA (the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants) and will publish results in due course. It will be for the Commission to decide whether it wishes to collect and publish financial information in relation 2008-09.

Garth Prison: Visits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether he has received reports of the recent incident that took place at HM Prison Garth where a female visitor was locked in a visiting room for four hours;
	(2)  if he will investigate the recent incident that took place at HM Prison Garth where a female visitor was locked in a visiting room for four hours.

David Hanson: HMP Garth informed both the director general and chief operating officer of the National Offender Management Service on the morning of 19 February. I was made aware of the incident on 20 February. An investigation into the circumstances is ongoing, and the prison has apologised to the visitor.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the monthly costs incurred by his Department in  (a) legal and  (b) accountancy fees relating to its handling on behalf of the Isle of Man Government of the issue of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man).

Michael Wills: No assessment has been made of the monthly costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice in legal and accountancy fees relating to its handling of the issue of Kaupthing Singer Friedlander (Isle of Man). The Ministry of Justice is the UK Department with responsibility for managing the UK's relationship with the Isle of Man (and the other Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey), and the issue of Kaupthing Singer Friedlander (Isle of Man) is one of many in which the Department is involved. In this instance it is the Treasury that is operationally responsible for representing the Isle of Man in negotiations with the Icelandic Government.

Land Registry: VAT

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Land Registry has reduced its retail prices for items which attract value added tax since December 2008.

Michael Wills: Land Registry's statutory services are not subject to value added tax. However, all "value add" products and services, which are subject to value added tax, were reduced in line with implementation guidance in December 2008.

National Offender Management Service: Administration

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much it cost to administer the National Offender Management Head Office in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08; and what he estimates those costs to be in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) was formed in 2004. The expenditure on "administration costs" (as defined for estimates and accounts purposes) was as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2004-05 66 
			 2005-06 87 
			 2006-07 85 
			 2007-08 76 
			 2008-09 (1)5l 
			 (1 )Planned. 
		
	
	This does not include administration costs included in HM Prison Service. Organisational and accounting changes over the period may mean these figures are not directly comparable. The new NOMS Agency was created from 1 April 2008 and certain functions were transferred to the centre of the Ministry of Justice.
	Due to the restructuring of NOMS following creation of the new agency, the categorisation of "head office" costs is changing and planned budget for 2009-10 is not yet available. The overall administration costs budget for NOMS is reducing by approximately 2.5 per cent.

Orders and Regulations

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many statutory instruments were made and not laid before Parliament in each year since 1997.

Michael Wills: No information is held centrally regarding the number of Statutory Instruments which are not laid before Parliament. Of the total number of instruments made each year those Orders commencing provisions within primary legislation and those instruments which are purely of a local nature (e.g. relating to roads and bridges, parish boundaries etc) are not required to be laid before Parliament. There will also have been other instruments which will not have been required to be laid and therefore information cannot be readily identified. The information (covering the period from 1999 from when electronic records have been maintained) was as follows:
	
		
			   Total number of Sis  Local Sis  Commencement Orders  Approx number of Sis not laid 
			 1999 3,439 1,675 97 1,772 
			 2000 3,195 1,602 116 1,718 
			 2001 3,815 1,935 135 1,433 
			 2002 2,957 1,367 110 1,477 
			 2003 3,033 1,521 135 1,656 
			 2004 3,152 1,658 160 1,818 
			 2005 3,326 1,746 147 1,893 
			 2006 3,196 1,766 133 1,899 
			 2007 3,364 1,838 158 1,996 
			 2008 3,075 1,677 151 1,828

Parc Young Offender Institution

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what new facilities and developments are planned for HM Prison Young Offender Institution Parc; and what the cost of that work will be in the next 12 months, broken down by category of expenditure.

David Hanson: The primary additional facility is the provision of an additional 320 custodial spaces, with the capacity to increase to 470 custodial spaces. In order to support the additional population, a number of internal physical changes to the building will be required, and a new houseblock will be built.
	New, upgraded or replacement facilities required to support the increased custodial population include a first night induction unit, an improved multi-faith facility, a new medical centre, enhanced visiting facilities for social and professional visitors, new kitchens, enhanced staff training facilities and additional car parking for visitors and staff.
	Payments for the expansion at HMP and YOI Parc during the period March 2009 to February 2010, inclusive, will total £24.024 million. This figure is made up of:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Construction fees 21,969,000 
			 Staff costs 898,000 
			 Other costs(1) 1,157,000 
			 (1) Including fixtures, fittings, design fees and management fees.

Police Custody

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cells are identified for use under Operation Safeguard; on how many nights Operation Safeguard cells have been used since the operation's inception; and what the largest number of prisoners held under Operation Safeguard on any one night has been to date.

Jack Straw: Operation Safeguard is a formal agreement between the National Offender Management Service and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to hold prisoners in police cells at times of very high population pressure. ACPO has currently agreed the release of up to 400 spaces, although this total is flexible and subject to change due to operational constraints.
	Operation Safeguard was activated between 12 October and 22 December 2006 and again from 16 January 2007 to 31 October 2008. Police cells have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells have been on stand by since the end of October 2008. The aggregate total of the number of prisoner nights in which a police cell was used during this period is 88,921. It is not possible to ascertain how many individual prisoners these totals cover. The largest number of prisoners held in police cells was 467 on 11 June 2007.

Prison Service: Reorganisation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many days  (a) he and his Ministers and  (b) officials of (i) his Department, (ii) the National Offender Management Service and (iii) the Prison Service have spent on negotiations with the Prison Officers' Association on his proposals for workforce modernisation in prisons; and how much his Department has spent on advancing the case for those proposals.

Jack Straw: Officials in my Department have held extensive and regular meetings with representatives of the POA since March 2008 to progress negotiations on pay and related reforms within the public sector Prison Service. Ministers have held meetings with the POA on six occasions since May 2008.
	During 2008-09, £350,000 (including salary costs) has been spent on communications activity within the overall NOMS Workforce Modernisation programme. It is not possible to identify the proportion of this overall spend associated with the POA negotiations.

Prison Service: Vacancies

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long on average it took to fill a staff vacancy at  (a) prisons in England and Wales and  (b) HM Prison Winchester in the most recent period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Information on the time taken to fill a vacancy in the Prison Service is not routinely collected for all grades. Data are however available from the latest prison officer recruitment campaign held in the autumn of 2008. The average time taken from application to offer for this campaign was 88 days. No comparative information for HM Prison Winchester is available because they did not have vacancies for prison officers at that time.

Prisoners: Suicide

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost was of inquiries into the attempted suicide of the female young offender known as SP by  (a) the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and  (b) Mr Bryan Payling.

David Hanson: The total costs of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigation are not known. This information is not held centrally and would require a manual check of a variety of sources and this would be at a disproportionate cost.
	The total costs of the Bryan Payling investigation are not yet known. Costs of the investigator and administrative support for the investigation were £3,169.34.

Prisons: Manpower

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers at each grade there were in each prison in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the likely numbers at each grade in the next 12 months.

Shahid Malik: Information on the number of officers in each establishment, by grade, in each year since 2005 and projections of the number of officers in March 2010 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Probation Officers: Manpower

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) largest,  (b) smallest and  (c) average number of offenders under the supervision of one probation officer was in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The caseloads of individual officers will vary according to factors such as the experience of the officer and the complexity (and risk assessment) of the cases. Information about the caseloads of individual probation officers is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information about the trends in probation service caseloads is contained in the annual Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007.

Probation: Standards

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of the management of each probation area in England and Wales.

David Hanson: The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data-driven performance assessments for each probation area. The most recent performance ratings for probation boards/trusts can be viewed on its website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/noms-performance-ratings.htm

Reoffenders: Rehabilitation

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what studies his Department has undertaken into the effect of attendance on residential outdoor activity courses on re-offending rates.

David Hanson: A range of outdoor activities are within measures available within local Youth Inclusion Programmes aimed at 8-17 year olds, identified as being at high risk of involvement in offending or anti-social behaviour. However, the Youth Justice Board does not continually monitor the effectiveness of outdoor activities.
	A Home Office Research Study(1) also evaluated two regimes—'High Intensity Training' at the Young Offenders Institution at Thorn Cross and a scheme based on the ethos of a 'Military Corrective Training Centre' (MCTC) at the YOI in Colchester. Both schemes were for 18-21 year old males suitable for open conditions. The study of the Colchester scheme concluded that this regime was not successful in reducing reconvictions, but the young people on the Colchester regime had significantly more positive attitudes towards staff and other inmates at the end of sentence and were significantly more hopeful about the future than the control group. The two year reconviction rates for Thorn Cross showed that, while there was no significant difference in the proportion of offenders reconvicted between the experimental and control group, the experimental group took longer to offend and committed significantly fewer crimes.
	(1) Farrington, D.P., Ditchfield, J., Howard. P. and Jolliffe, D. (2002) "Two intensive regimes for young offenders: a follow up evaluation: Home Office Research Finding 163". London: Home Office

Reparation by Offenders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times allegations of abuse towards offenders on community payback in  (a) London,  (b) Kent,  (c) Essex,  (d) the West Midlands and  (e) Nottinghamshire and  (f) Devon and Cornwall have been investigated since 1 December 2008.

David Hanson: The number of incidents of abuse towards offenders on Community Payback which have been reported since 1 December up until 13 February 2009 in the probation areas of London, Kent, Essex, West Midlands, Nottinghamshire and Devon and Cornwall is shown in the table.
	A review of these incidents shows that all, except one which concerned stone throwing by a child, involved verbal abuse or abusive gestures by members of the public towards offenders and staff working on Community Payback work groups on. In none of the cases was further investigation considered necessary.
	
		
			  Probation area  Number of reported incidents  Number of offender hours worked 1 December-31 January 
			 London 7 23,808 
			 Kent 2 15,305 
			 Essex 1 9,234 
			 West Midlands 0 33,261 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 10,512 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 8,724

Repossession Orders: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for repossession of homes in Cleethorpes constituency in each of the last 20 years.

Bridget Prentice: Figures for Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency are not available. However, the following table shows the numbers of mortgage and landlord possession orders made in Grimsby county court.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, Grimsby county court may cover areas other than the Cleethorpes constituency. Therefore not all possession orders made at this court necessarily relate to Cleethorpes constituency.
	Court level statistics on mortgage and landlord repossession actions from 1987 to 2008 are available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mortgate landlordpossession.htm
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made, while not all court orders result in repossession.
	
		
			  Number of mortgage( 1)  and landlord( 2,)( )( 3)  possession orders( 4,)( )( 5 ) made in Grimsby county court, 1987  to  2008( 6,)( )( 7) 
			   Mortgage possession orders made  Landlord possession orders made 
			 1989 379 — 
			 1990 546 — 
			 1991 824 — 
			 1992 579 — 
			 1993 522 — 
			 1994 457 — 
			 1995 362 — 
			 1996 516 — 
			 1997 319 — 
			 1998 582 — 
			 1999 281 171 
			 2000 385 167 
			 2001 390 218 
			 2002 271 277 
			 2003 223 312 
			 2004 236 364 
			 2005 431 309 
			 2006 515 322 
			 2007 524 536 
			 2008 610 332 
			 (1) Includes all types of mortgage lenders. (2) Includes all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Landlord orders include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord orders via the accelerated procedure enables the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (5) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (6) Complete breakdown of landlord possession orders is only available from 1999 onwards. (7) Figures for the latest year are provisional.  Source:  Ministry of Justice

Winchester Prison

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2094W, on prison accommodation, what the average period of time for which prisoners were detained in Winchester Prison was in each of the last three years; and how many prisoners detained in the prison had a registered home within 50 miles of the prison in each such year.

Shahid Malik: Prisoners move between prisons during the course of their sentence. Time spent in each prison is not recorded centrally. The following table shows the average period in months of those prisoners discharged from HMP Winchester from determinate sentences, including time spent on remand, spent in prison (this may include time spent in establishments other than HMP Winchester).
	
		
			  Average time served  ( months ) 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Up to and including six months 2 2 2 
			 Over six months and less than 12 months 4 4 5 
			 12 months to less than four years 11 12 13 
			 Four years to less than life 48 52 38 
			 
			 All determinate sentence lengths 5 6 6 
			  Note: Data for 2008 for this part of the answer are not available. 
		
	
	The number of prisoners held at HMP Winchester in each of the last three years with a home address within 50 miles of the prison (data from September in each year) is set out on the following table:
	
		
			   Prisoners held within 50 miles of home address 
			 2006 599 
			 2007 448 
			 2008 474 
			  Note: Where no home address is listed for a male or female prisoner or young offender the committal court is used as a proxy address 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and have been tabulated according to availability of data.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many days on average elapsed between arrest and sentence in cases involving persistent young offenders in each police force area in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many persistent and prolific offenders were identified in each police force area in 2007-08;
	(3)  how many persistent young offenders were registered in each police force area in 2008; how many offences were recorded where the offender was a persistent young offender in each area in that year; and what percentage of offences in each police force area this represents.

David Hanson: A persistent young offender (PYO) is a young person aged 10-17 who has been sentenced guilty by any criminal court in the UK on three or more separate occasions for one or more recordable offence, and within three years of the last sentencing occasion is subsequently arrested or has an information laid against them for a further recordable offence.
	This definition is designed to measure the speed and efficiency of the youth justice system; through monitoring the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. However, the definition is not designed to provide a reliable measure of the level of youth offending over time, and it will give a misleading picture of the true trend if used for this purpose.
	The aforementioned pledge was first met over a full calendar year in 2002 and has been met in all but one calendar year since then. Youth sentencing is therefore now more timely, and for repeat offenders more frequent, than it used to be prior to 1997. As the PYO definition relies on repeat sentencing occasions, a side-effect of the Government's success in bringing much swifter justice to young repeat offenders is that more of them end up being defined as PYOs.
	Table 1 shows the number of PYOs, and the number of offences committed by them, for each police force area in 2008. These 2008 figures are provisional at present as the data for 2008 has not yet been finalised. Final figures for 2008 will be published in March 2009 by the Ministry of Justice.
	Table 2 shows the total number of notifiable offences brought to justice, and the proportion of them that are attributable to PYOs, for each police force for 2007 (the most recent year for which these data are available). It is not possible to present a meaningful statistical comparison between police recorded crime and numbers of offences committed by PYOs, because the two measures have different counting bases.
	On 10 December 2008, the Secretary of State for Justice announced in a written ministerial statement that the PYO pledge would be dropped with effect from the end of 2008. This is therefore the last year for which PYO statistics will be published and compiled.
	Data from the performance management arrangements for the Prolific and other Priority Offender programme provide the number of such offenders identified through partnership arrangements in each police force area. The data are provided in table 3. The data cover the financial year 2007-08 from April 2007 up to March 2008, and are the most recent data available. These figures rely on the accuracy and completeness of the data provided locally by Prolific and Priority Offender schemes.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persistent young offenders (PYOs) and number of offences committed by PYOs, by police force area, 2008( 1) 
			  Police force area  Number of persistent young offenders  Number of persistent young offender offences 
			 Avon and Somerset 394 762 
			 Bedfordshire 110 196 
			 Cambridgeshire 191 322 
			 Cheshire 241 434 
			 Cleveland 304 672 
			 Cumbria 240 455 
			 Derbyshire 296 499 
			 Devon and Cornwall 335 590 
			 Dorset 143 243 
			 Durham 259 450 
			 Dyfed-Powys 135 237 
			 Essex 396 762 
			 Gloucestershire 164 295 
			 Greater Manchester 1,159 2,202 
			 Gwent 173 325 
			 Hampshire 674 1,238 
			 Hertfordshire 188 357 
			 Humberside 365 669 
			 Kent 351 618 
			 Lancashire 614 1,247 
			 Leicestershire 232 444 
			 Lincolnshire 106 175 
			 Merseyside 471 868 
			 Metropolitan 1,842 3,128 
			 Norfolk 156 290 
			 North Wales 202 376 
			 North Yorkshire 250 492 
			 Northamptonshire 160 291 
			 Northumbria 824 1,669 
			 Nottinghamshire 330 557 
			 South Wales 354 625 
			 South Yorkshire 384 674 
			 Staffordshire 267 478 
			 Suffolk 207 407 
			 Surrey 120 225 
			 Sussex 359 660 
			 Thames Valley 428 729 
			 Warwickshire 117 211 
			 West Mercia 311 568 
			 West Midlands 714 1,137 
			 West Yorkshire 872 1,573 
			 Wiltshire 111 189 
			
			 England and Wales 15,784 28,728 
			 (1) Figures for 2008 are provisional 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of notifiable offences brought to justice, and percentage that were attributable to persistent young offenders, by police force area, 2007 
			  Police force area  Number of notifiable offences brought to justice ( T housand)  Percentage of notifiable offences brought to justice attributable to persistent young offenders 
			 Avon and Somerset 40.7 1.70 
			 Bedfordshire 12.8 1.66 
			 Cambridgeshire 18.9 1.99 
			 Cheshire 23.8 2.04 
			 Cleveland 21.5 2.49 
			 Cumbria 14.2 2.87 
			 Derbyshire 23.6 2.02 
			 Devon and Cornwall 34.0 1.87 
			 Dorset 15.8 1.72 
			 Durham 16.5 3.24 
			 Dyfed Powys 12.5 1.91 
			 Essex 41.0 2.08 
			 Gloucestershire 14.0 2.24 
			 Greater Manchester 82.0 2.85 
			 Gwent 18.0 2.32 
			 Hampshire 43.8 3.02 
			 Hertfordshire 25.7 1.51 
			 Humberside 31.5 2.25 
			 Kent 39.3 1.74 
			 Lancashire 48.4 2.64 
			 Leicestershire 27.0 2.02 
			 Lincolnshire 14.8 1.55 
			 Merseyside 45.2 2.11 
			 Metropolitan 224.3 1.39 
			 Norfolk 18.5 1.59 
			 North Wales 17.7 1.95 
			 North Yorkshire 17.7 2.61 
			 Northamptonshire 14.6 2.32 
			 Northumbria 49.0 3.79 
			 Nottinghamshire 28.9 2.35 
			 South Wales 33.1 1.94 
			 South Yorkshire 43.5 1.49 
			 Staffordshire 28.4 1.83 
			 Suffolk 17.7 2.46 
			 Surrey 19.9 1.27 
			 Sussex 38.4 2.23 
			 Thames Valley 51.7 1.50 
			 Warwickshire 11.7 2.09 
			 West Mercia 27.0 2.17 
			 West Midlands 74.1 1.86 
			 West Yorkshire 62.8 2.70 
			 Wiltshire 12.1 1.92 
			
			 England and Wales 1,455.9 2.11 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of prolific and other priority offenders by police force area, 2007-08 
			  Police force area  1 April 2007-31 March 2008 
			 Avon and Somerset 303 
			 Bedfordshire 168 
			 Cambridgeshire 209 
			 Cheshire 248 
			 City of London 20 
			 Cleveland 204 
			 Cumbria 102 
			 Derbyshire 447 
			 Devon and Cornwall 474 
			 Dorset 107 
			 Durham 116 
			 Dyfed Powys 100 
			 Essex 292 
			 Gloucestershire 137 
			 Greater Manchester 1,491 
			 Gwent 110 
			 Hampshire 425 
			 Hertfordshire 239 
			 Humberside 295 
			 Kent 561 
			 Lancashire 498 
			 Leicestershire 562 
			 Lincolnshire 175 
			 Merseyside 583 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,525 
			 Norfolk 157 
			 North Wales 148 
			 North Yorkshire 143 
			 Northamptonshire 337 
			 Northumbria 342 
			 Nottinghamshire 874 
			 South Wales 298 
			 South Yorkshire 335 
			 Staffordshire 364 
			 Suffolk 190 
			 Surrey 247 
			 Sussex 528 
			 Thames Valley 467 
			 Warwickshire 132 
			 West Mercia 159 
			 West Midlands 1,043 
			 West Yorkshire 652 
			 Wiltshire 97

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what percentage of the money provided by his Department for the reconstruction of Afghanistan in 2008-09 was given to  (a) non-Afghan organisations and  (b) non-Afghan companies.

Michael Foster: By the end of 2008-09, the Department for International Development (DFID) expects to contribute £143 million of programme support to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. DFID has a commitment to spending at least 50 per cent. of its aid through Afghan government systems, for example using the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. This helps build the Afghan government's capacity to provide services for its citizens. 10 per cent. of our assistance (£14.7 million) is provided to non-Afghan organisations and companies to provide technical assistance and capacity building to the Afghan government.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the adequacy of aid to Afghanistan for  (a) refugees returning to the country,  (b) schoolchildren and  (c) antenatal care.

Douglas Alexander: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) monitors the refugee situation regularly and publishes information about its operations on its website:
	http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/country?iso=afg
	The Center for Policy and Human Development's 2007 'Afghanistan Human Development Report' assesses Afghanistan's progress towards the health and education millennium development goals. The report can be found at:
	http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/asiathepacific/afghanistan/name.3408.en.html
	Steady progress is being made in health and education; however, agriculture, private sector development, infrastructure and governance have made slower progress and are also critical to the development, stabilisation and strengthening of Afghanistan, to improve life for all Afghans.

Africa: Agriculture

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has provided to Farm Inputs Promotions Africa in each year since 2000.

Michael Foster: Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS) was commissioned under the Department for International Development's (DFID) Crop Protection Programme between 2003-06 to lead a research project in collaboration with the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute. This project was extended to January 2006.
	DFID has contributed a total of £298,000 to FIPS since 2000.

Africa: Agriculture

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of funds for African smallholders.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to providing funds for African smallholders and does so in a number of different ways. These include contributions to programmes that improve food security. Examples include:
	£133 million over four years (2005-09) to the Productive Safety Nets Programme that makes cash and food payments to seven million of Ethiopia's poorest farmers during the hungry season.
	£20 million for the Government of Malawi's programme to increase maize production through seed and fertiliser subsidies for 1.5 million smallholders, which last year increased the harvest by over 800,000 tonnes.
	DFID has also helped establish, and contributed £10 million, to the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) that approved its first projects in 2008. AECF was recommended by the Commission for Africa to encourage the private sector to improve provision of financial services to African farmers and rural communities. One example of a project that AECF has co-financed is a $1 million investment in cold storage for 1,400 smallholder poultry farmers in Kenya.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what practical assistance his Department is providing to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to facilitate the holding of the local and provincial elections originally scheduled for 2006.

Ivan Lewis: The UK Government remain committed to helping the DRC Government to hold local elections as soon as feasible and preferably in advance of the national elections in 2011. As the largest bilateral donor supporting the election processes, we are now working to ensure effective future elections by strengthening the Independent Elections Commission, through a grant of £14.5 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This will help fund administrative structures; including the establishment of local liaison offices throughout the country and revision of the electoral roll—developing it in a way that can be regularly updated for any future elections.
	The local elections have been delayed due to lack of funding from the DRC Government. The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently working with other donors to ensure the shortfall is met partly by the international community without taking ownership away from the DRC Government.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has only one property in England and Wales. A copy of the display energy certificate and the associated advisory report in respect of this property will be placed in the Library. There are no agencies for which we are responsible.

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) owns and manages a number of internal databases that support financial, human resources, document management and other information systems.
	System controls, validations and administration processes ensure that the data is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. These activities are considered part of the normal system running and are not separately logged or costed.
	DFID also owns the following websites that are operated by external organisations on behalf of DFID.
	1. The Research 4 Development (R4D) portal.
	2. The NARSIS website of DFID-funded projects with natural resources components.
	3. The Infrastructure Connect website of DFID-funded research engineering and infrastructure projects.
	We are unable to separate data maintenance costs for these systems without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which ICT projects initiated by his Department were abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development cancelled an internal information technology project run by our Pakistan office. The project had spent £7,000 at the point of cancellation; the contractor was Elixir; the project commenced in November 2007 and was cancelled in September 2008.

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent staff, including staff appointed in country, have been employed by his Department in Uganda in each financial year since 1997-98.

Michael Foster: Following the National Audit Office's October 2008 report on the Department for International Development's (DFID) work in insecure environments and improvements to the way DFID ensures the safety and security of its staff, the Department does not publicise staff numbers, or changes in staff numbers, for each country office.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department since 1997; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold a central list of all expert advisory appointments made since 1997. The Department makes a number of appointments and compiling such a list would incur disproportionate cost.
	Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band.

Departmental Publications

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what publications his Department has produced for hon. Members to send to their constituents in the last two years; at what cost; and for what purpose.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) publications are aimed at a very wide audience, and not specifically at hon. Members. In the last two years we have published two leaflets expressly for use by hon. Members to send to their constituents, however, there are plans to use these publications to communicate DFID's work to other audiences.
	
		
			  Title  Reason  Cost (£) 
			 Newsletter on UK aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories To inform hon. Members and their constituents about UK Aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (1)1,125 
			 Newsletter on UK aid to Pakistan To inform hon. Members and their constituents about UK aid to Pakistan 1,324 
			 (1) Estimated cost invoices yet to be received

Departmental Publications

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent in producing its developments magazine in the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent £210,547.20 (including VAT) in the last 12 months producing developments magazine.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department or its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to the health, safety and well-being of its employees. Over the past few years, we have continued to tackle absence due to sickness through improved monitoring and support to managers and staff. This includes:
	a newly introduced case management team (April 2008) providing support and advice to managers to help them to tackle absence issues earlier;
	an employee health and well-being team providing a confidential and independent support and advisory service; and
	an occupational health service providing support to facilitate an early return to work for staff on longer term sick leave.
	The number of staff who were on sick leave for over  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Staff with over 30 days sick leave  Staff with over 50 days sick leave  Staff with over 100 days sick leave 
			 2004 25 15 9 
			 2005 19 31 4 
			 2006 28 20 10 
			 2007 36 17 11 
			 2008 27 31 13

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the average number of days sick leave per staff member in his Department was in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to the health, safety and well-being of its employees. Over the past few years, we have continued to tackle absence due to sickness through improved monitoring and support to managers and staff. This includes:
	a newly introduced case management team (April 2008) providing support and advice to managers to help them to tackle absence issues earlier;
	an employee health and well-being team providing a confidential and independent support and advisory service; and
	an occupational health service providing support to facilitate an early return to work for staff on longer term sick leave.
	For the years 2004 to 2008 the average working days per employee lost to sick leave for DFID are as follows:
	
		
			   Average working days per employee lost to sick leave 
			 2004 4.8 
			 2005 5.7 
			 2006 5.0 
			 2007 4.4 
			 2008 5.7 
		
	
	Please note that the 2008 average is taken from our most recent sick absence report to Cabinet Office, covering the 12-month period 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008. In line with other Government Departments, our sick absence return for the full 2008 calendar year is not due until mid-March 2009.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to the health, safety and well-being of its employees. Over the past few years, we have continued to tackle absence due to sickness through improved monitoring and support to managers and staff. This includes:
	a newly introduced case management team (April 2008) providing support and advice to managers to help them to tackle absence issues earlier;
	an employee health and well-being team providing a confidential and independent support and advisory service; and
	an occupational health service providing support to facilitate an early return to work for staff on longer term sick leave.
	The number of staff recorded with sick absence of over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff with recorded sick absence of over 12 months 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 5 
			 2008 5

International Assistance

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which  (a) World Bank and  (b) United Nations Development Programme trust funds his Department has contributed in each of the last three years; and how much it has provided in each case in each such year.

Michael Foster: Tables containing details of the Department for International Development's (DFID) contributions to  (a) the World Bank and  (b) the United Nations Development Programme trust funds in each of the last three years will be placed in the Library of the House.

Liberia: Overseas Aid

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK has provided for Liberia  (a) bilaterally and  (b) through the United Nations in each of the last five years; and how much is planned to be provided for Liberia in the next spending period for which figures are available.

Michael Foster: Details on the UK's bilateral expenditure and imputed share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) are contained in the DFID publication "Statistics on International Development". This publication is available from the Library and online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Relevant figures are produced in the following table.
	
		
			  UK expenditure in Liberia, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			  £000 
			   Total UK bilateral expenditure  UK imputed share of UN expenditure 
			 2003-04 7,238 235 
			 2004-05 8,455 761 
			 2005-06 6,081 652 
			 2006-07 8,364 2,106 
			 2007-08 7,608 3,143 
		
	
	Details on DFID's annual allocation of resources are available in annex 2 of the DFID publication "Development: Making it Happen", DFID's 2008 annual report. This publication is available online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	or from the Library. Relevant figures for the next three years are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID Liberia Programme allocations 
			   £000 
			 2008-09 10,000 
			 2009-10 10,000 
			 2010-11 10,000

Loans

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2118W, on loans 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in interest rates on microfinance loans in Africa over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what annual percentage interest rates commercial banks are charging smallholders in Malawi; and what security they require.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports the overall monitoring of microfinance through the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a multi-donor partnership working to expand access to finance, including microfinance.
	The most recent detailed research carried out by CGAP on 2003-06 data showed that
	"the rates offered by most microfinance institutions (MFIs) compare favourably to informal finance, supplier credit, and the few other alternatives that would be available to MFI clients. In sub-Saharan Africa, interest rates also dropped at a rate of 1.4 percentage points from 2003 to 2006."
	This is confirmed by DFID research in Malawi where the commercial banking sector reaches less than 5 per cent. of the population and charges interest of about 16-20 per cent.; down from about 30 per cent. five years ago. Most smallholder farmers do not have anything a commercial bank would consider as security: land is not titled and smallholders in Malawi have an exceptionally low asset base. Microfinance is reaching another 5 per cent. of the households and real interest rates from rural microfinance institutions are estimated at around 45 per cent. However 90 per cent. of Malawians have no access to financial services.
	Beyond Malawi, several other household surveys carried out recently in Africa with DFID funding show that the absolute level of interest rate is not one of the detrimental factors that constrain poor people's access to financial services, including microfinance. The promotion of transparency, competition and financial literacy, is very important and in the long run can have a bearing on the level of interest. This is why DFID has recently launched the £4 million Financial Education Fund (FEF), to back the best ideas to help raise financial literacy among poor consumers and small businesses in Africa. The FEF will operate across Africa. In its first round of calls for projects, FEF has received 110 concept notes that are under review.
	Further information can be found on the following websites:
	 CGAP Reference :
	http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/template.rc/1.26.4412
	 Financial Education Fund :
	http://www.financialeducationfund.org/
	 DFID announcement of the FEF :
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/alexander-lessons-in-banking.asp
	 Household surveys :
	http://www.finscope.co.za/documents/2008/FSAfricaBrochure08.pdf

Rwanda: Land

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on projects associated with land tenure reform in Rwanda.

Ivan Lewis: Between October 2002 and December 2008, DFID spent a total of £3.045 million in support of land tenure reform in Rwanda. From October 2002 to July 2004, £276,000 was spent on providing a Land Policy Specialist and conducting studies to help the Government of Rwanda develop a new Land Law and Policy. The Land Law was enacted in 2005, and by the end of the programme, £2.976 million will have been spent developing and piloting a system for providing secure land title to landholders. DFID's Country Plan for Rwanda (2008 to 2012), proposes supporting the roll-out of a similar land tenure programme nationwide.

Zimbabwe: HIV Infection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of the number and proportion of the population of Zimbabwe infected with HIV/AIDS.

Ivan Lewis: Zimbabwe has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Currently, 15.6 per cent. of the population aged 15 to 54 years are infected with HIV. This amounts to about 1.3 million people. Of these, about 340,000 are in need of antiretroviral medicines. About 120,000 children under 15 are infected with HIV.
	DFID will provide around £20 million in this financial year to support health systems in Zimbabwe and to help those living with HIV and AIDS.

Zimbabwe: HIV Infection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of families in Zimbabwe have at least one member with HIV/Aids.

Ivan Lewis: Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of HIV prevalence in the world. Although the rate has fallen to 15.6 per cent. of adults aged 15 to 54 years, it remains the main cause of illness and early death. Of those infected, 56 per cent. are women. Because most people in Zimbabwe, as in other highly affected countries, do not know their HIV status, it is difficult to calculate the number of households with at least one HIV positive member. However, households that are affected often experience multiple infections (in one or both parents and possibly in their young children) making HIV catastrophic for the welfare of all members. Although there are no reliable statistics, as many as one in eight households may be affected in some way by HIV/AIDS.
	DFID will provide around £20 million this financial year to support health systems in Zimbabwe and to help those living with HIV and AIDS.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many aid workers from each aid agency have been killed other than by accident in Zimbabwe in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not possess the requested information.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which aid agencies left Zimbabwe in each of the last 10 years and subsequently undertook no further work there.

Ivan Lewis: A large number of aid agencies have worked, and are working, in Zimbabwe over the last 10 years. The UK Government do not keep records about their activities; nor would we be notified regarding their entry or withdrawal from the country.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government has provided to aid agencies to spend in Zimbabwe in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department of International Development's programme in Zimbabwe has expanded steadily in the last 10 years as the humanitarian need in the country has grown as indicated in the following table:
	
		
			  DFID aid to Zimbabwe over 10 years 
			   £ million 
			 1998-99 16.6 
			 1999-2000 14.1 
			 2000-01 13.1 
			 2001-02 17.0 
			 2002-03 32.7 
			 2003-04 36.0 
			 2004-05 27.4 
			 2005-06 35.4 
			 2006-07 34.1 
			 2007-08 43.3 
		
	
	Since 2002, all DFID programme money has been delivered through the UN and other aid agencies—none of it has passed through the Government of Zimbabwe. This year the Department will spend £49 million on ongoing programmes to meet the essential needs of ordinary Zimbabweans and to address the dire humanitarian situation.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) their agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Si�n Simon: Database maintenance costs in the Department are contained in the outsourced ICT contract service charges and the cost of staff involved in the management and analysis of information. The Department does not separately identify database management expenditure and to separate out the cost of maintaining databases would entail disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department's capital spending  (a) was in each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08 and  (b) is planned to be in each year from 2008-09 to 2014-15 in 2005-06 prices; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Departments do not publish detailed spending plans for periods outside of the comprehensive spending review period until they are finalised.
	Information for 2001-02 is not available. Departmental capital spending from 2002-03 to 2007-08 is shown in table 1 following. Capital spending figures prior to the formation of the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) in June 2007 are derived from expenditure figures of predecessor Departments.
	
		
			  Table 1: DIUS capital spending 2002-03 to 2007-08 
			   million 
			   Student loans  Other  Total 
			 2002-03 1,863 1,107 2,970 
			 2003-04 1,906 1,303 3,209 
			 2004-05 1,880 1,432 3,312 
			 2005-06 2,065 2,006 4,071 
			 2006-07 2,819 1,885 4,704 
			 2007-08 3,692 2,033 5,725 
			  Note: DAR 2007-08 figures were provisional at time of publication.  Source: DIUS Departmental Report 2008 
		
	
	Expenditure plans for 2008-09 to 2010-11, in 2005-06 prices, are shown in table 2 following. These figures are based on the figures published in the departmental annual report 2008 and reflect capital brought forward as announced in the pre Budget report 2008. The figures are adjusted using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Deflators published by Treasury on 23 December 2008.
	
		
			  Table 2: DIUS planned capital spending 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			   million 2005-06 prices 
			   Student loans  Other  Total 
			 2008-09 4,353 1,978 6,331 
			 2009-10 4,837 2,240 7,077 
			 2010-11 5,035 1,599 6,635

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies has been since it was established.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created by machinery of government changes at the end of June 2007. Information on the cost of the Department's contracts with public relations consultancies before that date is available from the predecessor departments of DIUSthe Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The departmental expenditure on public relations consultancies is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2007-08 261,702 
			 2008-09 (1)193,300 
			 (1 )Budget to 31 March 2009

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department or its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: The Department was created as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007. the information requested is set out as follows and applies from 1 July to 31 March 2008.
	
		
			  Occurrences where staff have had a spell of absence  Number 
			 Over 30 days 27 
			 Over 50 days 17 
			 Over 100 days 6

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each year since his Department was established.

Si�n Simon: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. There have been no employees recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each year since the Department was established.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many language translators are employed in each of his Department's executive agencies; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Si�n Simon: There are no language translators employed by the Department's executive agencies. The Department does not collect this information from its non-departmental public bodies and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria will apply for the allocation of Learning and Skills Council funding for capital projects; and whether he plans to make dates of approvals in principle the primary basis of prioritisation.

Si�n Simon: In 1997-98, the total capital expenditure in Further Education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	In total, since the programme began under this Government, nearly 700 projects, at 330 colleges have been agreed. Only 42 colleges have not yet benefited from investment.
	But the pace of demand for capital funding has increased. Projects and the scale of Government funding they require are becoming increasingly ambitious. In addition there are signs that the ability of colleges to raise their own funds for proposed projects is being affected by the downturn.
	It is for this reason that over the past few weeks the Learning and Skills Council has been working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids, to look at the individual current positions before making further funding decisions. As a result of this the consideration of a small number of applications that were due for decisionboth in principle and in detailhas been deferred from December to March.
	At the March meeting of the LSC National Council it will decide when it can make decisions on the small number of applications that were deferred from December to March. It will also advise on when and on what basis it will consider other capital applications. This will include as necessary, any decisions on how future proposals may be prioritised.

Engineers: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that skills shortages for the training of flood engineers are being addressed.

Si�n Simon: The Government support the work of Energy and Utility Skills (EUSkills) Sector Skills Council, which covers the water industries. The remit of Sector Skills Councils includes raising employer engagement, demand and investment in skills.
	EUSkills, working with the water companies, have developed an on-line work force development tool which allows the water companies to undertake a number of different forecast work force scenarios. This scenario work is continuing, and water companies may include this data within their final business plans as part of their price review to Ofwat (the Water Services Regulation Authority) during 2009.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned a comprehensive report on Engineering Skills for Flood Risk Management from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), which was produced in October 2004. The Environment Agency has had a capacity plan since May 2004 and a three year strategy to address the civil engineering skills shortage since August 2005. The Environment Agency also operate a foundation degree in Science for River and Coastal Engineering and have a new graduate training programme. These are both supported by national recruitment campaigns.
	DEFRA are continuing to work with the Environment Agency and other relevant organisations to assist them in developing appropriate skills and capacity to meet future requirements.

English Language

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department and its predecessor spent on courses in English for speakers of other languages in each of the last five years, broken down by course level.

Si�n Simon: The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has signed and is committed to the Government Skills Pledge to encourage and support all staff to achieve at least a full level 2 qualification. Some element of this support may in a few cases include supporting the attainment of basic literacy but this is provided via local colleges and incurs no direct cost to the Department.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1098W, on higher education: anti-Semitism, when he expects to set up the dedicated sub-group to the Cross Government Working Group against anti-Semitism; who the members of the sub-group will be; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Department is currently in the process of establishing this group and inviting attendees to the first meeting. At this first meeting the group will agree its continuing membership and terms of reference. We see this group as playing an important role in helping to tackle anti-Semitism in higher education.

Learning and Skills Council

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what records are held by his Department on meetings of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council.

Si�n Simon: The minutes from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) National Council meetings are sent to and held by the Department. The LSC also makes a summary of these minutes available on its website.

Learning and Skills Council: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Learning and Skills Council is in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: E-PIMS does not hold the information requested about the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) vacant properties. However, the LSC does collect this information separately and I have asked Mark Haysom, LSC chief executive, to write to the hon. Member. A copy will be placed on the House Library.

Local Government: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 760W, on new local government network: finance, how much funding his Department has provided to the new local government network since February 2008; and what the purpose of the allocation of 56,417 by the Learning and Skills Council was.

Si�n Simon: We are not aware of any funding being made available to the New Local Government Network (NLGN) by this Department. However, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which is a non-departmental public body sponsored by this Department, provided 21,150 for corporate membership of the Network for the period January 2008 to December 2008.
	The 56,417 which the LSC contracted to the New Local Government Network in the period from January 2007 paid for LSC corporate membership for the 2007 calendar year, and sponsored two research projects focused on service delivery and the role of local authorities in managing migration. Local authorities are a key partner of the LSC and these projects aimed to support delivery of a number of LSC education and training programmes.

Marine Studies: Plymouth

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the (a) teaching,  (b) research and  (c) achievement against objectives of the Marine Institute at Plymouth University; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government do not formally assess the performance of individual universities, or individual departments within universities.

Social Work: Higher Education

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many universities are planning to close their social work departments.

David Lammy: Information on the closure, merger or opening of particular university departments is not routinely collected by the Department although we are aware that Reading university has recently proposed to close its social work department in order to strengthen other areas. Nationally, 100 higher education institutions teach social work as a major subject for nearly 60,000 students. While institutions will continue to be responsible for deciding for themselves which subjects to teach, we are committed across Government to strengthening the capacity of the social care work force to respond effectively to the challenges they face.

Train to Gain Programme: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding his Department has made available to support the Train to Gain programme in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency.

Si�n Simon: LSC data is not available at constituency level. Data can be obtained at local authority level, but this can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data for the North West Region as a whole indicates that spend to support the Train to Gain programme for the 2006-07 financial year was 28,680,424 and for the 2007-08 financial year was 43,004,270 giving a total spend of 71,684,694.
	Train to Gain is the key service for supporting employers to invest in the future productivity and profitability of their businesses by investing in the skills of their employees. Train to Gain offers quality-assured, impartial advice from skills brokers, to help identify the business' skills needs at all levels and make the right, informed choices. Since Train to Gain was rolled out nationally in August 2006, it has engaged over 101,000 employers and supported over 570,000 learners to begin learning, of which over 290,000 have achieved a qualification.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many Learning and Skills Council-funded adult learners in 2006-07 who were eligible for inclusion in statistics used to measure progress in the Skills for Life Public Service Agreement target were aged  (a) 19 to 24 years and  (b) 25 years and over, broken down by whether they were funded through (i) further education colleges and (ii) the University for Industry;
	(2)  how many Learning and Skills Council-funded adult learners over the age of 16 years were eligible for inclusion in statistics used to measure progress against the Skills for Life Public Service Agreement target in  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06 and  (e) 2006-07.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 9 February 2009
	 The following table shows Skills for Life achievement figures by age and funding stream in 2006/07. The table shows only those achievements which count towards the 2010 PSA target which is to improve the basic skill levels of 2.25 million adults between the launch of Skills for Life in 2001 and 2010. This target was achieved in 2008.
	
		
			  Skills for Life 2010 target-bearing achievements (LSC-funded), for FE colleges and University for Industry, in 2006/07 (annual discounted achievements) 
			   FE colleges  University for Industry 
			 19-24 years old 41,800 11,000 
			 25 years or over 106,500 39,700 
			  Source: FE and UfI Individualised Learner Record

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Services: Manpower

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Working Time Directive on staffing and medical cover in  (a) accident and emergency departments and  (b) urgent care centres.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of local employers to implement working time directive as part of their health and safety obligations.

Alcoholic Drinks: Elderly People

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals aged over 65 years resident in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government office region were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The only centrally available data on treatment for alcohol-related health problems are the number of admissions to hospital for alcohol and alcohol-related health problems. An individual may account for more than one admission.
	While it is possible to analyse the admissions data to determine the number of individuals aged over 65 years admitted to hospital for alcohol and alcohol-related health problems, this could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	The following tables gave the number of alcohol-related finished admissions for patients aged over 65 years by London borough and Government office region for each year from 2002-03 to 2006-07. 2006-07 is the latest year for which data are available. The figures relate to the number of admissions rather than the number of individuals.
	
		
			  Number of alcohol-related admissions of patients aged 65 or over, by London borough of residence 
			  London Borough  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 City of London 16 23 19 28 30 
			 Barking and Dagenham 736 737 861 1,035 1,095 
			 Barnet 747 775 1,050 1,392 1,606 
			 Bexley 412 574 712 755 880 
			 Brent 430 613 818 1,114 1,328 
			 Bromley 1,066 1,297 1,695 1,851 2,069 
			 Camden 566 599 721 807 871 
			 Croydon 1,074 1,354 1,631 1,731 1,756 
			 Ealing 1,035 1,361 1,458 1,717 1,869 
			 Enfield 495 582 869 1,064 1,520 
			 Greenwich 539 733 942 965 989 
			 Hackney 363 443 568 803 999 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 493 538 612 779 862 
			 Haringey 430 514 581 615 839 
			 Harrow 483 501 699 949 1,180 
			 Havering 1,172 1,185 1,313 1,702 1,841 
			 Hillingdon 816 905 1,154 1,453 1,681 
			 Hounslow 635 731 856 1,216 818 
			 Islington 529 604 620 689 791 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 419 420 495 595 661 
			 Kingston upon Thames 596 645 694 783 898 
			 Lambeth 647 692 839 996 1,074 
			 Lewisham 678 781 994 900 1,130 
			 Merton 435 471 586 685 776 
			 Newham 759 795 764 1,099 1,190 
			 Redbridge 949 978 1,124 1,418 1,518 
			 Richmond upon Thames 596 661 747 911 793 
			 Southwark 651 675 845 944 970 
			 Sutton 388 447 471 584 706 
			 Tower Hamlets 497 575 705 805 812 
			 Waltham Forest 744 831 995 1,073 1,087 
			 Wandsworth 703 737 909 1,112 1,194 
			 Westminster 636 688 785 870 972 
			 London 20,735 23,467 28,133 33,439 36,805 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of alcohol-related admissions of patients aged 65 or over, by Government Office  r egion of residence 
			  Government Office Region  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 11,475 13,548 16,039 18,821 21,089 
			 North West 33045 36,820 41,351 46,582 51,637 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 20,700 23,133 25,623 28,166 30,615 
			 East Midlands 19,746 21,825 23,852 26,288 28,220 
			 West Midlands 15,642 18,514 23,518 29,671 35,128 
			 East of England 22,656 25,654 29,380 33,982 36,646 
			 London 20,735 23,467 28,133 33,439 36,805 
			 South East 27,712 30,772 34,736 41,198 44,331 
			 South West 25,034 28,238 31,329 34,596 38,036 
			 No fixed abode 104 161 221 288 164 
			 Unknown 735 480 609 732 923 
			 England 197,584 222,613 254,791 293,762 323,595 
			  Notes:  Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). Following international best practice, the NWPHO methodology includes a wide range of diseases and injuries in which alcohol plays a part and estimates the proportion of cases that are attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Details of the conditions and associated proportions can be found in the report Jones et al. (2008) Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol-attributable mortality and hospital admissions.  Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  Secondary diagnoses As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Ambulance Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to ambulance services on the uptake of the NHS Pathways system;
	(2)  what provision his Department has made for the varying of funding allocations granted to NHS ambulance services when approving their use of the NHS Pathways system for dealing with 999 calls;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost of training ambulance service staff to operate the new NHS Pathways system for dealing with 999 calls to date.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not issued guidance to ambulance services. Having considered evidence of the safety and efficacy of NHS Pathways, on 20 February 2009 the Department announced it had approved the product for use by the national health service. It is now for NHS services to decide whether to use NHS Pathways. Ambulance services that consider changing to NHS Pathways will be expected to look at the costs and benefits for their local area, including in relation to affordability and retraining staff.

Aortic Aneurysms: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 2051-52W, on aortic aneurysms: medical treatments, which NHS trusts that applied to participate in the early implementation phase of the abdominal aortic aneurysms screening programme, met the relevant criteria as developed by strategic health authority screening leads.

Ann Keen: The following six early implementer sites were identified after successfully meeting the criteria:
	
		
			  Screening programme  Trust name 
			 Gloucester Gloucester NHS Foundation Trust 
			 South Devon and Exeter South Devon NHS Foundation Trust 
			  Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 
			 South Manchester University Hospital of South Manchester 
			  Manchester Children's University Hospital 
			 Leicester University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 
			 West Sussex Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust 
			 South West London St. George's Hospital Healthcare NHS Trust

Dementia

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of  (a) the total population and  (b) those over 60 years of age with (i) dementia and (ii) Alzheimer's syndrome.

Phil Hope: The Department does not have information on the percentage of the total population with dementia or Alzheimer's syndrome over 60 years of age. However, the Dementia UK report, published in 2007 by the Alzheimer's Society show that there are approximately 570,000 who have the condition in England, and that roughly two thirds of these are undiagnosed.

Dental Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were operating under  (a) general dental services contracts and  (b) personal dental services agreements in (i) North Wiltshire constituency, (ii) Wiltshire, (iii) Swindon, (iv) London and (v) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of national health service (NHS) dentists, by contract type, in England as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006, is available in Table 4 of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006.
	The number of NHS dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in Annex E of the aforementioned report. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT). Annex G contains information by parliamentary constituency.
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Information by contract type at a regional level is not available under the old contractual arrangements.
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity, by contract type, during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in Table G2 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT but is not available by constituency. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	This measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.

Dental Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS funding has been allocated to dentistry provision in North Wiltshire constituency in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: Prior to April 2006, most primary dental services were provided under former general dental service (GDS) arrangements. These were demand-led services where the pattern of dental expenditure was largely determined by where dentists chose to practice, and how much national health service (NHS) work they chose to undertake.
	The former GDS arrangements were replaced with effect from 1 April 2006, when primary care trusts (PCTs) were given responsibility for planning and commissioning primary dental services and provided with local, devolved, dental budgets. The primary dental service funding allocations made to Wiltshire PCT for each of the three years since PCTs assumed full responsibility for primary dental care services are in the following table. These are net of income from dental charges paid by patients, which are retained locally to supplement the resources available for dentistry. Actual expenditure levels are determined by the pattern and type of services commissioned by each PCT. PCTs may also dedicate some of their other NHS resources to dentistry if they consider this an appropriate local priority. Allocations are not apportioned by individual constituency areas; PCTs determine the distribution of resources within their area on the basis of local needs and priorities.
	
		
			  Primary Dental Service net funding allocations for Wiltshire PCT 
			   Allocation (000) 
			 2006-07 10,727 
			 2007-08 11,366 
			 2008-09 12,787 
			  Notes:  1. The allocation figure for 2006-07 is the aggregate of the allocations made initially to the Kennet and North Wiltshire, South Wiltshire, and West Wiltshire PCTs before they merged to form the Wiltshire PCT with effect from 1 October 2006.  2. PCTs are awarded separate funding allocations to meet the cost of any dental vocational trainees who may be placed with dental practices in their area.

Dental Services: Young People

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under 16 years in England were treated within community dental services in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what IT security strategy his Department has in place; what steps are being taken to ensure the policy is being followed; what policy is in place on the use of encryption when data are sent externally; and what sanctions are in place for use should the policy not be followed.

Ben Bradshaw: There are strict rules on data security which the Department is required to adhere to, and has a number of information security policies in place to safeguard its information technology (IT) devices and information assets.
	Specifically it has an information security policy and computer security policy, broadly these cover:
	Computer devices such as laptops;
	Clear desk policy;
	Sensitive and personal information handling;
	Document security (including paper);
	Protected personal information protocols;
	Spam and hoax e-mail; and
	Password security.
	To ensure compliance, the Department IT security team undertake a rolling programme of compliance checking to ensure the policies are being followed. These checks will include physical checks, e.g. clear desk and checks to ensure portable devices and media are secured through to investigation of e-mail and network storage.
	All Department laptops have full disk encryption as standard. Any data transported from a desktop PC or an encrypted laptop device to a USB memory stick is also encrypted.
	Any data transmitted externally is governed by the document security policy and differing levels of security apply as appropriate to the protective marking of the document or data being transmitted. Clear policy and guidance is laid down for staff, under the document security policy.
	Any identified breach of IT security policy is investigated and formally reported to the senior civil servant responsible for the appropriate area of business. Depending upon the nature of the breach, various sanctions are available under normal disciplinary procedures.

Departmental Travel

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on international travel in each of the last 11 years; and how much of that was spent on travel by  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants.

Ben Bradshaw: Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.
	The Cabinet Office publishes an annual list of overseas visits made by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 dating from 1997 onwards including the Secretary of State for Health. Details on all Health Ministers overseas travel for 2007-08 can also be found on the Cabinet Office website. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
	Details of ministerial overseas visits undertaken in 2008-09 will be published on the Cabinet Office website in July 2009.
	The amount spent on international travel for officials is not easily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost

Dietary Supplements: EC Law

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions officials from his Department have had with the Enterprise Directorate General of the European Commission on the potential effects on small and medium-sized businesses of the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive;
	(2)  when he expects the European Commission will propose maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive; what procedures will apply to the adoption of those proposals; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to ensure the availability of higher potency vitamin and mineral supplements on the UK market;
	(4)  what recent representations he has received from  (a) independent health food retailers and  (b) consumers about the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive;
	(5)  when he next expects a Minister from his Department to meet the European Commissioners responsible for DG SANCO to discuss the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive;
	(6)  on what occasions he has discussed with  (a) the European Commissioners responsible for DG SANCO and  (b) each of his counterparts from other EU member states the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: No discussions have taken place between departmental officials and the Directorate General Enterprise of the European Commission on the potential impact upon small and medium-sized businesses of the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of article 5 of the food supplements directive.
	We have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that draft proposals outlining maximum levels would be discussed at the next working group meeting of member states, which is now likely to be held in April. Proposals are, therefore, unlikely to be published until after this meeting has taken place. The European Commission has also indicated that the draft proposals will be subject to an exchange of views in the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health prior to their formal publication.
	I am exploring with officials how high potency vitamin and mineral supplements could be permitted under the scope of the food supplements directive.
	I have received representations from independent health food retailers and consumers about the setting of maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, in the form of correspondence.
	I recently met with my Spanish counterpart to discuss a range of issues including the setting of maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements. This subject has not been discussed in meetings between Health Ministers and the European Commissioner for Health and there are no current plans for Health Ministers to meet with the Commissioner to discuss this subject.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many disabled facilities grants have been made in each year since their inception; how much has been spent through the grant in each such year; what the budget for the grant was in each such year; what the banding for the means test is; and what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) mean contribution made by people in reception of the grant has been in each year.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government regard the disabled facilities grant programme as an important means to help disabled and older people continue to live as independently as possible by having their homes adapted. That is why we have more than doubled the Government funds available for the programme from 57 million in 1997 to 146 million in 2008 with an increase of 10 million in each of the subsequent years making the budget 166 million by 2010. Details of the grant contributions by Communities and Local Government can be found on the Department's website.
	Local authorities in England report information on the number of grants and amount spent through the grant as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns. The following table shows the total expenditure on disabled facilities grant. Communities and Local Government contributed 60 per cent. of funding with local authorities match funding the remaining 40 per cent. Data prior to 1996-97 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number and amount of disabled facilities grants paid, England, 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			  Financial year  Number  000 
			 1996-97 20,060 92,230 
			 1997-98 21,990 100,410 
			 1998-99 22,180 107,100 
			 1999-2000 22,720 116,530 
			 2000-01 24,730 130,720 
			 2001-02 25,510 145,120 
			 2002-03 30,100 173,780 
			 2003-04 37,170 201,980 
			 2004-05 38,550 210,310 
			 2005-06 34,940 221,340 
			 2006-07 37,270 232,830 
			 2007-08 38,130 250,100 
			  Note s : 1. Number of grants are measured in the financial year they are completed. 2. Expenditure is reported in the financial year it is spent.  Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return. 
		
	
	The means test used for disabled facilities grants works on the same principle as the tests used for many other means-tested benefits including housing benefit. The test includes as expenditure a range of standard allowances and premiums based on housing benefit and income support regulations. This model not only ensures that the grant goes to those least able to contribute to the cost of the works but also to help ensure that applicants are treated consistently. The Department does not hold records of individuals' contributions. The following link provides greater detail on the means test.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/supportandadaptations/housingadaptations/testresourcesfordfg/

Epilepsy

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of dedicated epilepsy nurses in neurology departments.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the provision of dedicated epilepsy nurses. Local trusts are responsible for the skill mix of their work force, including the provision of specialist nurses for patients with epilepsy. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and must have the freedom to deploy staff in ways appropriate for local conditions.

Eyesight: Pensioners

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in York received free NHS eye tests in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the numbers of national health service (NHS) sight test claims processed for persons aged 60 and over in North Yorkshire health authority (HA), York and Selby primary care trust (PCT) and North Yorkshire and York PCT in the relevant financial years.
	
		
			   North Yorkshire HA  York and Selby PCT  North Yorkshire and York PCT 
			 1999-2000 52,072 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 61,787 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 68,855 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 70,278 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a 26,254 n/a 
			 2004-05 n/a 26,619 n/a 
			 2005-06 n/a 25,057 n/a 
			 2006-07 n/a n/a (1) 
			 2007-08 n/a n/a 88,428 
			 n/a = Not applicable.  (1)( )Validated information at a PCT level is not available for 2006-07.   Notes:  1. The three columns in the table represent each organisation in place that included York over the time period. The geographical areas covered by each organisation listed below vary in size which makes it not possible to have a comparable time series over the full period.  2. Patients aged 60 and over only became eligible for NHS sight tests from April 1999.   Source:  The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Health and Social Care Information Centre: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) the Health and Social Care Information Centre,  (b) NHS Connecting for Health,  (c) NHS Estates and  (d) the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The empty property annual business rates as recorded on e-PIMS for Financial Year 2008-09 are:
	
		
			
			 Health and Social Care Information Centre 8,085 
			 NHS Connecting for Health 15,000 
			 NHS Estates 90,000 
			 NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency 0 
			 Total 113,085

Health Centres: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP-led health centres have been procured in Enfield to date.

Ben Bradshaw: Enfield primary care trust is currently procuring a general practitioner (GP)-led health centre in Edmonton. The primary care trust aims to sign the contract by the end of March 2009.

Health Services: Domestic Violence

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that primary care trusts fund specialised voluntary sector support for women who experience violence.

Ann Keen: It is for local commissioners to commission services according to local needs. The Department has taken integrated measures to prevent and eliminate domestic violence, including making significant progress in the early identification of, and intervention with, domestic violence victims.
	We are currently developing a violence and abuse prevention framework, that includes evidence-based interventions and prevention measures from early childhood. It will focus on early interventions to reduce the risk of all forms of interpersonal violence and abuse, and will provide supportive toolkits, protocols, care pathways and commissioning guidance.

Health Services: Nutrition

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce incidences of vitamin D deficiency.

Dawn Primarolo: It is the responsibility of the national health service to deal with incidences of vitamin D deficiency in their local area as this is a direct health care matter. The Department recommends a daily supplement of vitamin D to all pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, infants, young children, older people and those who do not expose their skin to sunlight who are particularly at risk of deficiency. The Department is developing an information leaflet to reiterate the importance of vitamin D to all health professionals and supports the provision of vitamin supplements under the Healthy Start scheme.

Health Services: Per Capita Costs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average annual cost of  (a) training and  (b) employing a (i) nurse, (ii) midwife, (iii) school nurse and (iv) health visitor.

Ann Keen: The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma nursing students in the financial year 2007-08 was 6,816 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was 7,260.
	The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma midwifery students in the financial year 2007-08 was 7,838 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was 8,348.
	In addition to tuition costs, nursing and midwifery trainees are entitled to either a bursary or salary support funding. The average bursary paid for degree students in 2007-08 was 2,672 outside London and 3,225 in London. The average bursary paid for diploma students in 2007-08 was 6,372 outside London and 7,443 in London.
	Students may be entitled to other payments such as allowances for dependant children and the cost of national health service employees seconded on to nursing and midwifery training programmes will include a proportion of their salary costs.
	Information on the average annual costs of training a school nurse and a health visitor is not held centrally.
	The average (mean) annual costs of employing a nurse, midwife, school nurse and health visitor, are presented the following table. These figures are for 2008-09.
	
		
			  Average annual costs of employing nursing staff ,  2008-09 
			  Staff group( 1)  Average annual employment cost( 2,3,4)  () 
			 All qualified nurses 38,900 
			 Midwife 43,200 
			 School nurse 37,200 
			 Health visitor 41,000 
			 (1) NB: These staff groups are all types of qualified nurses. (2)Average, mean, earnings for these staff groups in April to June 2008 sourced from NHS Information Centre's (IC) Quarterly Earnings Survey. (3) Average, mean, earnings then adjusted for 2008-09 pay settlement of 2.75 per cent. plus an estimate of employers' 'on-costs' for pensions and national insurance contributions to produce average annual employment cost. (4) Figures presented are rounded to the nearest 100 as per NHS IC convention.

Health Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) GPs,  (b) hospital doctors,  (c) community nurses and  (d) hospital nurses are employed in NHS establishments and GP surgeries in City of York constituency.

Ann Keen: The following table shows selected staff in specified organisations in York area, as at 30 September 2007.
	
		
			  Total specified organisations  Total headcount 
			 General practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) 663 
			 Practice nurses 392 
			 Hospital doctors(1) 525 
			 All qualified nursing staff 2,921 
			  O f which:  
			 Qualified community nurses(2) 943 
			 Other qualified nursing staff(3) 1,978 
			   
			  O f which:  
			  North Yorkshire and York PCT  
			 GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) 663 
			 Practice nurses 392 
			 Hospital doctors(1) 132 
			 All qualified nursing staff 1,577 
			  O f which:  
			 Qualified community nurses(2) 908 
			 Other qualified nursing staff(3) 669 
			  York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  
			 General practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) (4) 
			 Practice nurses (4) 
			 Hospital doctors(1) 393 
			 All qualified nursing staff 1,344 
			  O f which:  
			 Qualified community nurses(2) 35 
			 Other qualified nursing staff(3) 1,309 
			 (1 )Hospital doctors excludes medical hospital practitioners and clinical assistants.  (2) Qualified community nurses are community matrons, district nurses, health visitors, school nurses, general practitioner practice nurses and other qualified nurses in the community services, community psychiatric, community learning disabilities, and school nursing areas of work.  (3) Other qualified nursing are qualified nurses working in the acute, elderly and general, paediatric, maternity services, other psychiatric, other learning disabilities, and education areas of work.  (4 )Not available.   Notes:  1. Data not available by constituency area, the City of York constituency is contained within and served by the organisations provided here.  2. Data quality: Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service (NHS) trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.   Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-medical Workforce Census.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients whose records are contained in the General Practice Research Database have at least one record of malnutrition  (a) in total and  (b) in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) contains records of patients recorded as suffering from malnutrition under a range of different terms, known as Read Terms.
	The total number of patients suffering from malnutrition, as identified by these terms within the GPRD, is 1,143. The number of patients suffering from malnutrition in the last full calendar year for which data is available, 2007, is 183.
	The GPRD is a sample of approximately 5 per cent. of the United Kingdom population. However, actual malnutrition rates based on the entire UK population cannot be accurately calculated without full denominator information.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the full statement his Department's spokesperson issued to the BBC in response to the story on the BBC website of 10 February 2009, entitled Malnutrition affecting three million in the UK; what further consideration his Department has given to the  (a) findings and  (b) recommendations contained in the report by the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, entitled Combating malnutrition: recommendations for action; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The full statement issued was:
	The Department recognises that good diet and nutrition are important for everyone. Sustained investment in tackling health inequalities has paid off. Life expectancy in England is the highest it has ever been, including in disadvantaged areas.
	We are committed to reducing health inequalities further, and have put in place the most comprehensive programme ever in this country to address them. Sir Michael Marmot is currently exploring future policy and action on reducing health inequalities in England.
	The Department has a number of programmes which contribute to the nutritional wellbeing of the population including particularly vulnerable older people and young children. Nutritional care is integral to our action to tackle health inequalities and in programmes such as Dignity in Care and Healthy Start and is also addressed in Healthy lives, brighter futuresThe strategy for children and young people's health, and Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a cross-Government strategy for England. The Department recognises that ensuring good nutrition is essential in frontline health care.
	British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's recent report will feed into this work.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were recorded as having  (a) an admission episode and  (b) a discharge episode with a diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemias and (iii) other nutritional deficiencies in NHS trusts in each year between 1997-98 and 2007-08 (A) in total and (B) broken down by NHS trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is available, but requires intensive and time-consuming use of statistical information systems. We will place the information in the Library once it is available.

Maternity Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the 4,000 additional midwives he undertook to provide are being provided at a local level in the NHS; how many have already been provided; and how many he plans to provide in each year to 2012.

Ann Keen: Nationally, the national health service (NHS) is planning for an additional 1,000 midwives by September 2009, rising to around 4,000 extra midwives by 2012, contingent on the rising birth rate.
	As the NHS Operating Framework 2009-10 explains, in January 2008, we announced an increase in primary care trusts (PCTs) baselines of 330 million for three years from 2008-09 to support improvements in maternity services. We are also looking to PCTs to develop more responsive services, that meet local needs and react to user feedback, including ensuring that the workforce has sufficient numbers of maternity staff.
	The Department has invested in training for midwives and developed a joint action plan, with strategic health authorities and the Royal College of Nurses, to support local expansion of the maternity work force.
	1.5 million has been made available to support:
	return to practice programmes for midwives who are on career breaks but are now ready to return back to work;
	Leadership programmes for heads of midwifery and consultant midwives;
	Developing midwives role within commissioning/provider agendas;
	Mentoring training;
	Clinical learning facilitators to support development of new qualified midwives;
	Flexible retirement scheme to retain retired midwives in the local work force; and
	Maternity support workers programme.
	The NHS Workforce Census for 2008, to be published in March 2009, will provide the most recent number of midwives.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 410-11W, on NICE: Weber-Shandwick, whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: We can confirm that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

NHS: Finance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which current and on-going public finance initiative liabilities fall under the remit of his Department in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) the East of England strategic health authority.

Ben Bradshaw: Private finance initiative (PFI) schemes open, under construction and PFI proposals in development within the boundaries of the East of England strategic health authority (which covers the county of Hertfordshire) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Capital value   ( million)  PFI schemes operational 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Trust 158 New District General Hospital 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 15 St. Mary's Wing Development in Luton 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 15 Community hospital redevelopment 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 76 Elective Care Centre, Genetics and Diabetes at Addenbrookes 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 36 Garrett Anderson Treatment Centre 
			 South West Essex PCT 30 Reprovision of Brentwood Community Hospital 
		
	
	
		
			   Capital value   ( million)  Expected opening date  PFI schemes under construction 
			 South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 32 Quarter 2 2009 Medium and low security mental health unit on Runwell hospital site 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 336 Quarter 1 2012 Reconfiguration of acute hospital services 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 148 Quarter 3 2010 Relocation of maternity unit and modernisation of acute services including diagnostic and treatment centre in Chelmsford 
		
	
	
		
			   Capital value ( million)  PFI proposals in development 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 280 Major acute service reconfiguration in Watford 
			 Papworth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 125 New cardiothoracic centre 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 110 Major overhaul of Trust estate at Stevenage 
		
	
	Under current UKGAAP accounting standards, the schemes open and under construction in the table are off-balance sheet and not therefore recorded as capital expenditure or for that matter liabilities.

NHS: Manpower

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of  (a) training and  (b) employing a health visitor in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The annual cost to the national health service of training a health visitor is not held centrally.
	The estimated annual average cost of employing a health visitor is 41,000. This figure is for 2008-09.
	It is based on average (mean) earnings in the NHS Information Centre's (IC) Quarterly Earnings Survey (April to June 2008), adjusted for 2008-09 pay settlement of 2.75 per cent. plus an estimate of employers' 'on-costs' for Pensions and National Insurance (NI) contributions.

NHS: Negligence

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average premium paid by NHS trusts to the NHS Litigation Authority  (a) was in each of the last five years and  (b) is estimated to be in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The data requested are in the following table and was provided by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA). The tables cover the three schemes administered by the NHSLA on behalf of the Secretary of State and for which they collect contributions from members. The data covers information for all national health service (NHS) trusts and NHS foundation trusts that are members, as some NHS trusts will have been authorised to become NHS foundation trusts within a given membership year.
	
		
			  Clinical negligence scheme for trusts (CNST) 
			   Number of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts  Total Contribution ()  Average contribution () 
			 2003-04 273 243,985,098 893,718 
			 2004-05 273 401,416,990 1,470,392 
			 2005-06 267 458,553,161 1,717,428 
			 2006-07 242 449,541,317 1,857,609 
			 2007-08 242 439,353,658 1,815,511 
			 2008-09 243 387,401,215 1,594,244 
			 2009-10(1) 241 703,632,267 2,919,636 
		
	
	
		
			  Liabilities to third parties scheme 
			   Number of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts  Total contribution ()  Average contribution () 
			 2003-04 273 8,492,139 31,107 
			 2004-05 272 16,829,985 61,875 
			 2005-06 267 22,469,049 84,154 
			 2006-07 242 36,452,378 150,630 
			 2007-08 242 35,360,100 146,116 
			 2008-09 243 29,268,456 120,446 
			 2009-10(1) 239 28,861,146 120,758 
		
	
	
		
			  Property expenses scheme 
			   Number of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts  Total contribution ()  Average contribution () 
			 2003-04 266 1,841,169 6,922 
			 2004-05 266 1,733,708 6,518 
			 2005-06 267 2,098,278 7,859 
			 2006-07 242 2,230,444 9,217 
			 2007-08 242 2,150,034 8,884 
			 2008-09 243 2,175,168 8,951 
			 2009-10(1) 236 2,823,013 11,962 
			 (1) Estimated contribution level 
		
	
	Contributions of individual members are determined by looking across a range of factors. For example, CNST contribution levels are influenced by the type of trust, the specialties it provides and the number of 'whole time equivalent clinical staff it employs. Discounts are also available for good risk management practices and claims history.

NHS: Negligence

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical negligence claims were brought against each primary care trust (PCT) in each of the last five years; and what the cost of such claims was for each PCT.

Ann Keen: The data requested were provided by the National Health Service Litigation Authority, and are in the document 'Clinical negligence claims against PCTs 2003-2008'. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The data were correct as at 31 January 2009.

NHS: Negligence

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of  (a) medical negligence cases and  (b) other legal claims was in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the potential costs arising from outstanding cases.

Ann Keen: The data requested were provided by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) in the following tables. The following points should be noted:
	the NHSLA only collects data relating to their schemes. The NHSLA operates excess levels on some schemes whereby trusts handle claims below the excess levels themselves. These are not recorded by the NHSLA;
	excesses for the Existing Liabilities Scheme were removed in 2000-01 and for the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts in 2001-02. Existing claims that fell below excess were then funded by those schemes, which accounts for the increase in clinical payments in those years; and
	the data is not comprehensive because individual trusts will hold data relating to claims outside of the NHSLA's schemes or under the excess levels.
	
		
			  Costs of claims funded by the NHSLA's schemes 
			  000 
			   Total clinical  Total non-clinical  Total 
			 2007-08 633,325 27,715 661,041 
			 2006-07 579,390 33,883 613,273 
			 2005-06 560,308 31,609 591,587 
			 2004-05 502,893 25,120 528,013 
			 2003-04 422,514 10,130 855,158 
			 2002-03 446,184 21,345 467,529 
			 2001-02 548,944  553,888 
			 2000-01 871,986 979 872,965 
			 1999-2000 277,356 390 277,746 
			 1998-99 345,000  345,000 
			 1997-98 41,000  41,000 
			 1996-97 76,000  76,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Provisions made for outstanding claims under the NHSLA's schemes 
			million 
			 Ex-Regional Health Authorities Scheme 42.20 
			 Existing Liabilities Scheme 1,925.24 
			 Clinical Negligence scheme for trusts 9,943.37 
			 Property expenses scheme 8.25 
			 Liabilities to third parties scheme 141.05 
			 Total 12,060.12

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake an audit of data collected in relation to malnutrition; if he will assess what additional data needed to be collected; if he will establish a new data collection model and data standards for the collection of information on malnutrition; if he will put in place an annual audit of the quality of nutritional care delivered by all care providers; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no plans to undertake an audit of data collected in relation to malnutrition. Data on malnutrition is collected through Hospital Episodes Statistics at the Information Centre and goes through a rigorous and comprehensive validation. Primary care information for this is not collected centrally.

Obesity

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to reduce levels of obesity amongst  (a) women of child-bearing age and  (b) pregnant women.

Dawn Primarolo: In January 2008, the Government published Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England, this sets out our plans to tackle the rise in obesity levels. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	Our strategy sets out how we aim to provide everyone, this will include women of child bearing age, with the information and opportunities to achieve, and maintain, a healthy weight. In relation to pregnant women the Healthy Child programme (previously called The Child Health Promotion programme) which is the early intervention and prevention public health programme from pregnancy through the first five years of life prioritises obesity prevention. This programme supports those parents with particular risk factors that may cause overweight and obesity.

Organs: Donors

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many donations of human organs were made in each region in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: The following tables show the number of deceased donors in each former national health service region in England in each calendar year, 2000-08, and the percentage change in donor numbers between each year:
	
		
			  Former NHS region( 1)  2000  2001  Percentage  change  2002  Percentage  change  2003  Percentage  change  2004  Percentage  change 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 113 108 -4.4 110 1.9 96 -12.7 115 19.8 
			 Trent 68 44 -35.3 64 45.5 44 -31.2 54 22.7 
			 Eastern 32 48 50.0 45 -6.2 47 4.4 65 38.3 
			 London 113 124 9.7 132 6.5 102 -22.7 125 22.5 
			 South East 118 109 -7.6 91 -16.5 95 4.4 101 6.3 
			 South and West 45 60 33.3 54 -10.0 59 9.3 67 13.6 
			 West Midlands 59 62 5.1 65 4.8 63 -3.1 51 -19.0 
			 North West 104 85 -18.3 86 1.2 91 5.8 102 12.1 
			 Total 652 640 -1.8 647 1.1 597 -7.7 680 13.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Former NHS region( 1)  2005  Percentage  change  2006  Percentage  change  2007  Percentage  change  2008  Percentage  change 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 115 0.0 107 -7.0 101 -5.6 95 -5.9 
			 Trent 38 -29.6 49 28.9 39 -20.4 52 33.3 
			 Eastern 50 -23.1 78 56.0 69 -11.5 88 27.5 
			 London 98 -21.6 117 19.4 115 -1.7 150 30.4 
			 South East 96 -5.0 78 -18.7 106 35.9 123 16.0 
			 South and West 74 10.4 77 4.1 80 3.9 81 1.2 
			 West Midlands 67 31.4 52 -22.4 66 26.9 75 13.6 
			 North West 92 -9.8 86 -6.5 90 4.7 83 -7.8 
			 Total 630 -7.4 644 2.2 666 3.4 747 12.2 
			 (1) Former national health service regions are now strategic health authorities, but it is useful to continue using the previous regions for the purposes of comparing data due to changes in geographical boundaries. Region of donation is defined by the location on the donation hospital, rather than the donor's place of residence.

Organs: Donors

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mandatory training is required of  (a) intensive care and  (b) accident and emergency medical staff on (i) obtaining consent for organ donation and (ii) organ donation procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this information centrally. We have commissioned the Central Office of Information to map the existing training provision, validate the training requirement gap and identify solutions for priority audiences.
	This work was commissioned in response to the recommendation in 'Organs for Transplants', by the Organ Donation Taskforce, that all clinical staff likely to be involved in the treatment of potential organ donors should receive mandatory training in the principles of organ donation.
	Once this piece of work is completed, the Department will be working with the national health service, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and other key stakeholder organisations to ensure that NHS performance in these areas improves.

Subutex

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for subutex were dispensed by community pharmacies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: From December 2007 to November 2008 Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data collected by NHS Prescription Services, indicate that 630,800 prescription items for Buprenorphine products, of which Subutex is a brand, were dispensed by community pharmacists in England. PCA data records what has been reimbursed to dispensing contractors but does not record which particular Buprenorphine products have been dispensed to fill generically written prescriptions. Therefore the data also includes generically written prescriptions for Buprenorphine which may have been dispensed with Subutex.

Subutex

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to update guidelines on the treatment with subutex of prisoners who are addicted to drugs.

Phil Hope: The current guidelines were updated in 2007 and are set out in Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on clinical management. Additional guidance is contained in Clinical management of drug dependence in the adult prison setting, including psychosocial treatment as a core part published in 2006. Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.

Thalidomide

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts are equipped to measure the blood pressure of a patient who is upper limb deficient as a result of thalidomide.

Dawn Primarolo: This is information is not collected.

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as an indicator in the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is not mandating any indicators for inclusion in the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payment framework. The Department has set a framework for schemes to be developed locally, with all indicators and goals to be agreed between health care commissioners and providers. The only requirement is that each local scheme should include at least one goal in each of four areas: safety, effectiveness, patient experience and innovation.
	The Department regards the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitals as an extremely important issue, which is why we published the National VTE Risk Assessment in September 2008, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is also developing a clinical guideline to cover the prevention of VTE in all hospitalised patients, and I understand that they plan to publish the guideline in November of this year.

Transplant Surgery

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received a  (a) heart,  (b) lung,  (c) kidney,  (d) cornea,  (e) tissue,  (f) pancreas and  (g) liver transplant in England in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of people receiving heart; lung; kidney; cornea; sclera; pancreas and liver transplants in England in each calendar year, 2000 to 2008. Information on other tissues are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Organ  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Kidney 1,410 1,459 1,475 1,474 1,636 1,610 1,813 1,892 2,131 
			 Heart 235 199 161 153 172 149 153 127 121 
			 Lung(s) 131 126 128 150 134 137 124 129 139 
			 Liver 618 630 655 590 681 558 591 592 650 
			 Pancreas 27 40 45 45 53 98 141 204 198 
			 Cornea 2,025 1,842 2,003 2,108 2,222 2,189 2,228 2,167 2,388 
			 Sclera 144 89 147 131 202 161 178 247 252 
			  Notes:  1. Figures include all combinations of organs, so for example kidney figures include kidney/pancreas; pancreas figures include pancreas/kidney; kidney figures include kidney/liver etc.  2. Figures include transplants from living donors.

Transplant Surgery

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average post-operation life expectancy of a patient receiving a  (a) heart,  (b) lung,  (c) kidney,  (d) liver  (e) cornea,  (f) pancreas and  (g) tissue transplant is.

Ann Keen: The success of organ transplantation is measured in terms of patient or graft survival rates, rather than life expectancy. With the exception of information on corneas which shows graft survival, the following table illustrates the most recent figures available for adult patient survival one year post transplant in England.
	
		
			  Transplant type  Survival (percentage)  Year of transplant 
			 Deceased(1) donor kidney 96 2003 to 2006 
			 Living donor kidney 99 2003 to 2006 
			 Heart 81 2003 to 2006 
			 Lung(s) 75 2003 to 2006 
			 Liver 89 2003 to 2006 
			 Pancreas 98 2004 to 2006 
			 Corneas(2) 93 2001 to 2007 
			 (1 )Heartbeating. (2 )Graft survival only for corneas.

Transplant Surgery

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transplant co-ordinators were employed by each health authority in England in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of donor transplant coordinators employed by national health service trusts is not collected centrally. However as part of the implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations, all donor transplant coordinators will eventually be employed by NHS Blood and Transplant. 30 donor transplant coordinators previously employed by NHS trusts, Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) transferred to NHSBT employment in October and November 2008. A further 10 TUPE transfers are planned by the end of the current financial year. The TUPE transfer process of the staff within the remaining 12 donor transplant coordinator teams currently employed locally by NHS trusts will take place during the course of 2009-10.
	Following two recruitment campaigns, 39 new donor transplant coordinators have been recruited and a third recruitment campaign has been launched with the intention of recruiting a further 20 new staff. Further recruitment campaigns will take place over the next 18 months. It is anticipated that a total of 265 staff, including both donor transplant coordinators and office support staff, will be in post by the end of 2010-11.

Transplant Surgery: Foreigners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 827-32W, on transplant surgery: foreigners, what the  (a) NHS tariff and  (b) private tariff is in each hospital for each type of transplant.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. There is no national mandatory tariff for transplant surgery, which means that price for this activity will be subject to negotiation between providers and commissioners.

Trauma

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has issued guidance to local healthcare trusts on minimum arrangements for pre-hospital airway management care of trauma patients.

Ben Bradshaw: Ambulance staff are trained and provide airway management care of trauma patients in line with specific clinical guidelines. These are produced by the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many equalities impact assessments the Government Equalities Office has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office has not undertaken any impact assessments in the last 12 months. An equality impact assessment for the consultation on the Equality Bill was made in the summer of 2007 and the Government Equalities Office will undertake an assessment on the Bill itself.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what expert advisers have been commissioned by the Government Equalities Office since its establishment; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case.

Maria Eagle: Since its establishment on 12 October 2007 the Government Equalities Office has not commissioned any individual expert advisers.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working in the Government Equalities Office in each year since its inception; and what was spent on such bonuses.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office currently employs seven senior civil servants. Three of these staff were awarded non-consolidated performance pay totalling 24,000 in 2007-08, the first full year of GEO operations. Given these small numbers information about the individuals involved and the amounts awarded to each cannot be disclosed on grounds of confidentiality.

Travelling People: Equality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what  (a) research and  (b) other work the Equality and Human Rights Commission has undertaken in relation to Travellers in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has undertaken the following:
	 (a) Research
	(i) A review of the inequalities experienced by Gypsy and Traveller communities.
	(ii) An assessment of local housing authorities' progress in meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities in England.
	Both pieces of research will be published in March 2009.
	 (b) Stakeholder Engagement
	(i) The Commission's Policy Position Statement will be issued in March 2009 alongside the research and best practice case studies.
	(ii) The Commission intervened as a third party in the case between Basildon council and the Dale Farm Gypsy and Traveller community. In the Commission's view the local authority failed to undertake an equality impact assessment to establish any disproportionate impact, for example, on the mental health of children that might arise from forced eviction. In light of the decision by the court of appeal which ruled in favour of Basildon council, the Commission has met with senior officers from the council to ensure that they are aware of their legal obligations and to explore ways forward that would meet the interests of all concerned.

Women: Economic Situation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what representations she has received from women on the effects of the economic downturn.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) and the Ministers for Women and Equality have received a number of letters and e-mails from women setting out the effects that the economic downturn is having on them personally. The GEO has also received a letter from Working Families detailing the experiences of women who have called their free helpline since October 2009. These calls are mainly relating to redundancy, dismissal and insolvency.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 245-6W, on Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund, how much each organisation received from the fund in 2007-08; and how much each organisation currently receiving funding will receive between 2008-09 and 2010-11.

Sadiq Khan: The 2007-08 funding allocations for each organisation are set out in the following table.
	Subsequent funding allocations through the Community Leadership Fund for 2008-09 to 2010-11 have been published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/communities/987558
	 2007-08 allocations:
	 Leadership Capacity building the capacity of today and tomorrow's leaders in the Muslim community, to enable them to help the community to resist the influence of violent extremists and promote a positive and engaged citizenship.
	
		
			  Project partner  Funding level () 
			 Business in the Community 30,000 
			 Business in the Community 21,700 
			 Muslim Youth Helpline 35,000 
			 Common Purpose 65,000 
			 Muslim Youth Development Partnership 40,000 
			 Sizanani Africa 20,000 
			 Khayaal Theatre Company 38,450 
			 Changemakers Foundation 29,750 
			 Innovate Arts CIC 10,000 
			 UK Race  Europe Network 29,770 
			 Sufi Muslim Council 28,000 
			 Sufi Muslim Council 30,500 
			 FAT1MA Women's Network 10,077 
			 Luqman Institute 30,000 
		
	
	 Organisational Capacity building the capacity of organisations in the Muslim community to actively resist the influence of violent extremists.
	
		
			  Project partner  Funding level () 
			 The British Muslim Forum 150,000 
			 The British Muslim Forum 44,200 
			 Business in the Community 45,000 
			 Britslam 51,000 
			 British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD) 32,503 
			 Sufi Muslim Council 24,000 
			 MINAB 75,600 
		
	
	 Capacity of Muslim Womenunlocking the potential of Muslim women in tackling violent extremism, enabling their voices to be heard and empowering them to engage with young Muslims at risk of being targeted by violent extremists.
	
		
			  Project partner  Funding level () 
			 Unity FM. 20,000 
			 Heartstone 5,000 
			 Muslim Women's Network 15,000

Community Relations: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 246W, on Radical Middleway, how much the Radical Middleway Programme will cost in 2008-09; and how much her Department will contribute towards this.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government are funding the Radical Middle Way at 350,000.00 for their domestic programme of work. This represents the total cost of their programme this year.

Community Relations: Religion

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department plans to release as part of round one of the Faiths in Action programme in 2009-10; how much it has allocated to the programme for that financial year; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department intends to make 600,000 available during 2009-10 for grants in round one of the Faiths in Action scheme. A shortlist of applications is presently being considered and I plan to make an announcement soon.

Council Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the average percentage of annual rent from a new build social home built under the proposals outlined in Changes to the revenue and capital rules for new council housing, that will be spent on  (a) repaying the debt from building the property,  (b) maintenance,  (c) management and  (d) repairs in the first year of operation of the revised rules;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the average annual cost to a local authority of servicing the debt required to build one new build social home under the proposals outlined in the Changes to the revenue and capital rules for new council housing consultation in the first year of operation of the revised rules.

Iain Wright: Our proposals will enable councils to exclude new properties from the subsidy system. This will allow them to retain surplus rents on those properties to help fund development costs. The amount of borrowing needed to build a new home and the cost to an authority of servicing debt associated with a scheme will depend on the level of rent, and the amount of grant support and other capital subsidy.
	The consultation paper on the revenue and capital changes says that nationally in aggregate, management, maintenance and repairs for council houses represent 72 per cent. of assumed rental income, leaving 28 per cent. available to service any prudential borrowing.

Council Housing: Rents

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of proposed local authority rent increases on their tenants in  (a) Luton and  (b) England.

Iain Wright: Local authorities remain responsible for setting their actual rents, in consultation with their tenants, and will want to consider what is affordable and acceptable locally when doing this. Central government does not intervene in this decision.
	However, we do want to encourage all social landlords to set rents that are affordable and fair for their tenants.

Disadvantaged: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the score of each of the lower layer super output areas in each principal seaside town in England was in each domain of the index of multiple deprivation for  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2007, ranked from highest to lowest in each year.

John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House a table which lists the score and rank of each of the Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs)for each domain of the Indices of Deprivationin the local authority districts which contain the principal seaside towns. This table provides the data for 2004 and 2007, and also identifies the ward in which each LSOA is located.

Eco-Towns: Publicity

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1142W, on eco-towns: finance, how much expenditure has been incurred on each  (a) exhibition and  (b) road show on eco-towns.

Iain Wright: The total cost of exhibition and roadshow activity incurred to date by the Department is 369,568.90. It is not possible to provide individual costs for each event as a substantial proportion of the costs relate to the management and production of the event programme as a whole.

Eco-Towns: Publicity

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people visited each eco-town roadshow; and how much each roadshow cost to provide, broken down by cost category.

Margaret Beckett: Due to the 'turn up and view' nature of the eco-town roadshows, there was no registration process. Therefore we do not have records of the actual numbers of visitors to each roadshow. However, 9,000 of the 'Have Your Say' leaflets were given out over the 15 days that the events ran.
	In terms of the roadshow costs I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) today (PQ 252797).

Fire Services: Working Hours

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on flex-duty fire brigade officers of the proposed ending of the opt-out from the EU Working Time Directive.

Sadiq Khan: Although arrangements vary across the Fire and Rescue Service, typically officers on the flexible duty system are required to work a weekly average of no more than 42 positive managerial hours; and to provide standby cover on an on-call basis which should average not more than 36 hours per week.
	The amendments voted by the European Parliament in December to end opt-outs from the working time directive's 48-hour weekly maximum; and to the treatment of inactive on-call time as working time could, taken together, have a substantial impact on FRS officers working the flexible duty system. The UK therefore places great importance on retaining the opt-out and other flexibilities agreed by the Council of Ministers in June and will continue to defend them.

Holocaust Memorial Day

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government took to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2009, organised by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, was 'Stand Up to Hatred'. It examined what hatred means; how it can be enshrined in actions, language and legislation; and how each individual can help to make our communities strong and safe.
	A number of hon. Members attended the national commemoration on 25 January 2009 at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. These included my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I also attended, and was able to meet with a number of survivors at a reception, where I read a goodwill message from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
	In addition to this, on 26 January 2009 I attended the Beth Shalom Centre where I was able to take part in a service marking Holocaust Memorial Day. The Beth Shalom Centre is a place of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and a place of education, challenge and reflection for people everywhere.
	On 29 January 2009, I opened and closed a Topical Debate on the floor of the House of Commons which was dedicated to Holocaust Memorial Day.
	Bodies that commemorate the Holocaust and subsequent genocides play a vital role in ensuring that we never allow ourselves forget past atrocities, and help our and future generations to learn from them. The Government are continuing strongly to support such bodies, as well as bodies whose work is associated with the theme of this year's event. This includes core grant funding of 750,000 to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, an increase of 50 per cent. on previous years.

Local Government Finance: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations she has received in respect of the local government grant support settlement for the London borough of Bexley.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 January 2009,  Official Record, column 1660W. Parliament approved the Local Government Finance Settlement 2009/10 on Wednesday 4 February. The Department has received no further representations on the level of Government grant support to the London borough of Bexley.

Local Government: Billing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to pay invoices within 10 days of receipt.

John Healey: Local authorities are responsible for their own payment arrangements and in the present economic downturn many are taking steps to ensure invoices are settled promptly.

Members: Correspondence

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to reply to the letter of 12 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

Sadiq Khan: The Minister for Local Government replied to the hon. Member on 19 February 2009.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to the letter of 19 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Billericay on business rates.

Sadiq Khan: The Minister for Local Government replied to the hon. Member on 20 February 2009.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has made an assessment of the likely effects on businesses of the increase in business rates in 2009-10.

John Healey: Established Government policy on Impact Assessments:
	www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44544.pdf
	is that they are not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the new empty property business rates on local economies and local firms.

John Healey: An Impact Assessment detailing the impact of the empty property reforms was published by Communities and Local Government in May 2007 accompanying the introduction of the Rating (Empty Properties) Bill and a further assessment was laid before this House on 26 February accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008Number: 386.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of  (a) the number of businesses eligible to claim small business rate relief and  (b) the value of small business rate relief eligible to be claimed in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many businesses paid small business rate relief supplements in each year since 2005; and what the value was of small business rate relief supplements collected in each year since 2005.

John Healey: Local authorities reported there were 392,000 businesses in England in receipt of small business rate relief as at 31 December 2006, the only year for which this information is currently available. Information on the number of businesses who paid the small business rate relief supplement is not available.
	Details of the total relief granted and the value of the supplement collected since 2005-06 are given, in  millions, in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   Relief granted  Amount raised 
			 2005-06 202 306 
			 2006-07 237 311 
			 2007-08 260 133

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the average administrative cost to businesses of applying for small business rate relief.

John Healey: No such estimate has been made. However, a regulatory impact assessment detailing the impact of the small business rate relief (SBRR) scheme was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in January 2005 accompanying the introduction of the Non-Domestic Rating (Small Business Rate Relief) (England) Order 2004Number: 3315and a further assessment was laid before the House by Communities and Local Government on the 23 August accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Small Business Rate Relief) (Amendment) (England) Order 2006Number: 2313.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses are aware of their entitlement to small business rate relief.

John Healey: Local authorities include with rate bills information about the small business rate relief scheme and the website
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	also contains information about various aspects of the non-domestic rating system, including the small business rate relief scheme. Business rates information letters were also sent by the Department in September 08 to all local authorities in England to clarify the deadlines for applying for small business rate relief and to remind them that they should encourage businesses to apply for the relief.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the level of small business rate relief supplements is calculated.

John Healey: The small business rate relief scheme is a self-financing scheme, funded by a supplement paid by businesses that do not meet the eligibility criteria. The level of the supplement in 2009-10 was calculated using information supplied by local authorities from their national non-domestic rates returns submitted to the Department about the cost of the small business rate relief scheme in previous years. A further estimate was made about the cost of the amendment to the scheme which comes into effect on 1 April 2009, allowing occupants of new properties that join the rating list during the financial year to claim relief. The value of the supplement is based on these estimates and a forecast of the number and aggregate value of properties that are able to fund the scheme.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's statistical release of 17 May 2007 on national non-domestic rates to be collected by local authorities in England 2007-08, how the excess in small business rate supplements collected in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07 was spent.

John Healey: The small business rate relief scheme is a self-financing scheme, funded by a supplement paid by larger businesses that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
	The supplement is adjusted each year to take account of the amount of revenue required to fund the scheme and can also be adjusted to ensure that over the lifetime of the scheme the relief is self financing. In years 2007-08 and 2008-09 the supplement was set at a lower rate than the costs in those years to meet the aim that large businesses do not over fund the scheme.
	All non-domestic rate revenues collected are redistributed back to local authorities as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the amount paid in non-domestic rates by port businesses in each year from 2003 via the cumulo system.

John Healey: This information is not collected by Communities and Local Government.
	Any contractual agreement for payment of non-domestic rates on behalf of port businesses is a matter between them and their port operator.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre: VAT

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has reduced its retail prices for items which attract value added tax, including in its canteens, since December 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The QE2 Conference Centre has applied the reduced rate of value added tax in accordance with HMRC guidelines to all its services since December 2008 and has passed this reduction in price on to its customers. Catering facilities at the centre are provided through a catering concession contract, by Leith's, part of the Compass Group. Customers contract directly with Leith's for their catering services and Leith's have also passed on the value added tax price reduction to the customer.

Regional Ministers: Publicity

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of  (a) production and  (b) circulation of newsletters on the activities of each Regional Minister was in the last 12 months

Sadiq Khan: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  GO  Date  Cost of production  Cost of circulation 
			 GO East January/February 2009 989 including VAT. This is for the set up of an electronic template for the newsletter to be delivered as PDF format. No cost. Newsletter sent electronically via e-mail. 
			 
			 GONW 7 April 2008 1,850.63 (including VAT) for design of template No cost 
			  31 July No cost No cost 
			  6 November No cost No cost 
			  18 February No cost No cost 
		
	
	The other seven Government offices did not produce separate newsletters on the activities of their Regional Ministers.

Rented Housing: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new  (a) council and  (b) housing association homes for rent have been built in City of York constituency in each year since the creation of the unitary local authority.

Iain Wright: Information on social rented homes by constituency is not available. The following table shows the number of new social rented homes built by registered social landlords in the City of York unitary authority for each year from 1996-97. There have not been any new social rented homes built by local authorities in the City of York unitary authority since 1996-97. The figures exclude acquisitions of social rented homes.
	
		
			   Registered social landlords new build social rented homes 
			 1996-97 80 
			 1997-98 100 
			 1998-99 0 
			 1999-2000 160 
			 2000-01 130 
			 2001-02 110 
			 2002-03 80 
			 2003-04 120 
			 2004-05 170 
			 2005-06 170 
			 2006-07 40 
			 2007-08 30 
			  Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns submitted to CLG by local authorities 
		
	
	Not all social rented housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. In 2005-06, an additional four social rented homes were acquired by RSLs in the City of York unitary authority; these are not included in the main PQ answer. There have been no acquisitions in later years.

Social Rented Housing

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to social landlords on  (a) the implementation of rent rises under the target rent regime and  (b) the effects of the regime on tenants for whom such rises may cause financial hardship.

Iain Wright: The setting of actual rents is a matter for local housing authorities.
	The former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued A Guide to Social Rent Reforms in the Local Authority Sector in February 2003, which outlined the principles of the rent restructuring programme including the formulae to be used for calculating formula and guideline rents, and the 'caps and limits' on rent charges designed to protect tenants from unduly high rent increases in any one year.
	The guide makes clear the basis of the Government's policy which is that social rents should remain affordable, and well below those in the private sector. The rent formula includes an element to reflect local earnings to take account of affordability.

Tenants' Rights

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she plans to implement the proposals of the Law Commission to facilitate the succession of secure tenancies of social housing to the children of couples upon their demise;
	(2)  if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Housing Act 1985 to facilitate the succession of a secure tenancy to the child of a couple following their demise.

Iain Wright: We have no current plans to amend the rights of succession. While the law currently allows each tenancy to be succeeded only once, local housing authorities do have the freedom to grant new tenancies to those unable to succeed, having considered the merits of individual cases in line with their duty to address housing need.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of ammunition have been discharged in Helmand province by British forces in each roulement since June 2006, broken down by ammunition type.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1993W.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the average tour interval for each regiment of the  (a) Royal Logistics Corps,  (b) Royal Artillery,  (c) Royal Signals and  (d) Royal Engineers is;
	(2)  what the average tour interval for each battalion of the infantry is.

Bob Ainsworth: Historical data to support the calculation of the average tour interval for each battalion or regiment of the Infantry or the Royal Artillery (RA) are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following tables show the last operational tour interval for each infantry and RA unit as at 18 February 2009, based on the unit's last two operational tours to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Northern Ireland or Cyprus. The deployments listed are the unit deployments, defined as a regiment deploying with a regimental headquarters and more than two manoeuvre sub-units for four months or more.
	
		
			  Unit deployed  Unit last deployed to  Last tour start date  Previous operational deployment  Previous tour end date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			  Infantry( 1)  
			 1 Grenadier Guards Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq September 2006 8 
			 1 Coldstream Guards Afghanistan October 2007 Iraq October 2005 23 
			 1 Scots Guards Iraq December 2007 Iraq April 2005 31 
			 1 Irish Guards Iraq June 2007 N. Ireland March 2004 38 
			 1 Welsh Guards Balkans October 2006 Iraq April 2005 17 
			 1 Scots(2) Iraq December 2007 Iraq May 2006 17 
			 2 Scots Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 3 Scots Iraq July 2004 Iraq June 2003 12 
			 4 Scots Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 5 Scots Afghanistan April 2008 Balkans October 2005 29 
			 1 PWRR Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 2 PWRR Iraq January 2005 N. Ireland December 2003 12 
			 1 RRF Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 2 RRF N. Ireland April 2003 N. Ireland June 2002 9 
			 1 R Anglian Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq October 2005 18 
			 2 R Anglian Iraq June 2008 Iraq October 2006 20 
			 1 Yorks Iraq December 2008 Iraq May 2007 18 
			 2 Yorks Afghanistan October 2007 Balkans September 2006 13 
			 3 Yorks Iraq November 2004 Balkans June 2001 40 
			 1 R Welsh Cyprus May 2007 N. Ireland January 2006 15 
			 2 R Welsh Iraq June 2007 Iraq October 2005 19 
			 1 Mercian Iraq December 2007 Iraq October 2004 37 
			 2 Mercian Afghanistan May 2007 Afghanistan April 2005 24 
			 3 Mercian Iraq November 2006 Iraq October 2005 12 
			 1 Rifles(3) Afghanistan October 2008 Iraq November 2006 23 
			 2 Rifles Iraq November 2006 N. Ireland September 2004 25 
			 3 Rifles Iraq September 2006 N. Ireland March 2005 17 
			 4 Rifles Iraq June 2007 Balkans October 2001 67 
			 5 Rifles Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 1 Royal Irish Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 2 Para Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq April 2006 24 
			 3 Para Afghanistan April 2008 Afghanistan October 2006 18 
			 1 RGR Afghanistan October 2007 Balkans March 2006 18 
			 2 RGR Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan October 2005 37 
			 (1) 1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. Because of the nature of this amalgamation it is not representative to carry forward the unit deployments of 1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR to 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. (2) 1 RS and 1 KOSB amalgamated in August 2006 to form 1 Scots, which deployed for the first time as a formed unit to Iraq in December 2007. (3) 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 Rifles, which deployed for the first time as a formed unit to Afghanistan in October 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Unit deployed  Unit last deployed to  Last tour start date  Previous operational deployment  Previous tour end date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 1 RHA Iraq June 2007 Cyprus September 2005 20 
			 3 RHA Iraq November 2005 Cyprus April 2004 18 
			 4 Regt RA Afghanistan October 2007 Cyprus September 2006 12 
			 7 Para RHA Afghanistan April 2008 Afghanistan October 2006 18 
			 19 Regt RA Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq October 2005 18 
			 26 Regt RA Iraq December 2008 Cyprus May 2005 43 
			 29 Cdo Regt RA Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan April 2007 18 
			 40 Regt RA Iraq November 2006 Cyprus September 2004 25 
			  Notes: 1. Subunits from 3 RHA have subsequently deployed in support of operations but are not of sufficient size or duration to be included as a tour interval measure 2. Subunits from 5, 12, 16, 26, 32, 39, 47 Regt RA have also deployed in support of operations but are not of sufficient size or duration to be included as a tour interval measure 
		
	
	Unit tour interval data for the Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Corps of Signals and the Corps of Royal Engineers are not held in the format requested. The unit tour interval is a less relevant measure when applied to these corps due to the frequency with which personnel move between formed units.

Armed Forces: Electoral Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of members of the armed forces who are eligible to vote but who are not registered to vote.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1225W, to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray).

Armed Forces: Electoral Register

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Service Voting Survey 2008 in the Library.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes, once it has been finalised.

Armed Forces: Pay

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the X-factor adjustment to military pay in supporting the salaries of service personnel.

Kevan Jones: X-Factor is comprehensively reviewed, usually every five years, by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) which assesses both MOD and independent civilian evidence. The last review of X-Factor was carried out in 2007 to inform the 2008 AFPRB report. In the report, the AFPRB noted that all the evidence was unanimous and emphatic that X-Factor is an important part of the overall remuneration package for the armed forces. As a result of the evidence gathered, the AFPRB judged that an increase in the level of X-Factor from 13 per cent. to 14 per cent. of base pay was warranted, together with a change to the tapering arrangements for Lieutenant Colonels and equivalent and above. The Government accepted this recommendation which was implemented in full from 1 April 2008. The AFPRB is scheduled to review X-Factor again in 2012 for its 2013 report.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of his Department's contract with the Chinese company producing British army uniforms.

Quentin Davies: All MOD contracts for British army uniforms are currently held with UK suppliers who source raw materials globally and use a number of overseas subcontractors for production. The cost of such subcontracts is a matter for the supplier.

Defence: Procurement

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the written statement of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 28-30WS, on protected mobility, what proportion of the funds allocated from the Reserve to the protected mobility package will be repaid from the Defence Budget.

Quentin Davies: None. HM Treasury is contributing 500 million from the Reserve towards the protected mobility package, and the remainder will be funded by the MOD. While this package will deliver crucial and urgent capability for current operations in Afghanistan, it is also relevant to the MOD's longer-term equipment plans, so it is appropriate that the MOD should contribute towards the package.

Defence: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ministers in his Department have received representations relating to defence procurement contracts from  (a) Lord Truscott and  (b) Lord Moonie in the last three years.

Quentin Davies: Ministers have received no such representations from Lord Truscott. Ministers have received no representations from Lord Moonie in relation to specific defence procurement contracts although in 2007 he sought two meetings with departmental Ministers, on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, and Maersk UK's Shipping Division. Discussion was of a general nature rather than in relation to specific contracts.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006, (v) 2007 and (vi) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			  As at  31 March:  Direct resource DEL  Indirect resource DEL  Capital DEL  Total 
			 2003 17 8 372 397 
			 2004 17 8 347 372 
			 2005 17 9 347 373 
			 2006 17 9 305 331 
			 2007 17 15 303 335 
			 2008 15 18 294 327

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the A400M programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007 and (viii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information the hon. Member requested is shown in the following table, which includes the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture costs.
	
		
			   million 
			  As at 31 March:  Direct resource RDEL  Indirect resource DEL  Capital DEL  Total 
			 2001 1 158 2,474 2,633 
			 2002 34 145 2,177 2,356 
			 2003 28 296 2,160 2,484 
			 2004 16 187 2,416 2,619 
			 2005 16 180 2,448 2,644 
			 2006 23 181 2,412 2,616 
			 2007 24 171 2,434 2,629 
			 2008 34 171 2,427 2,632

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Advanced Jet Trainer programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   As at 31 March: 
			   2007  2008 
			 Direct resource DEL 10 10 
			 Indirect resource DEL 27 26 
			 Capital DEL 503 508 
			 Total 540 544

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile Integrated Project Team programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007 and (viii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment phase and demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   Direct Resource RDEL  Indirect Resource DEL  Capital DEL  Total 
			 31 March 2001 (1) (1) (1) 1,382 
			 31 March 2002 20 206 1,191 1,417 
			 31 March 2003 20 219 1,198 1,437 
			 31 March 2004 20 116 1,239 1,375 
			 31 March 2005 20 107 1,097 1,224 
			 31 March 2006 20 104 1,100 1,224 
			 31 March 2007 20 124 1,044 1,188 
			 31 March 2008 20 176 1,103 1,299 
			 (1 )Breakdown not available

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Future Lynx programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   As at 31 March: 
			   2007  2008 
			 Direct resource RDEL 99 59 
			 Indirect resource DEL 50 110 
			 Capital DEL 1765 1799 
			 Total 1914 1968

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Soothsayer programme was on 31  March (a) 2004, ( b) 2005,  (c) 2006,  (d) 2007 and  (e) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table, which includes the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases. Information for 31 March 2004 is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2004  31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource RDEL n/a 7 7 9 15 
			 Indirect Resource DEL n/a 24 24 24 24 
			 Capital DEL n/a 115 149 186 187 
			   
			 Total n/a 146 180 219 226

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Terrier programme was on 31 March  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006,  (e) 2007 and  (f) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2003  31 March 2004  31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 17 (1) 19 17 17 17 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 10 (1) 11 8 11 18 
			 Capital DEL 290 (1) 286 288 288 295 
			
			 Total 317 312 316 313 316 330 
			 (1) Breakdown not available

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Typhoon programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007 and (viii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information you requested is shown in the following table, which includes the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			  As at 31 March:  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 2,469 2,338 2,987 2,328 (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Capital DEL 16,400 16,295 16,683 16,686 (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			  
			 Total 18,947 18,711 19,748 19,092 (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 (1) The costs of Typhoon for these years are not included as the information is commercially sensitive.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Watchkeeper programme was on 31 March  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 65 65 65 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 60 54 50 
			 Capital DEL 847 847 848 
			 Total 972 966 963

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Sting Ray life extension and capability upgrade programme was on 31 March  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005,  (f) 2006,  (g) 2007 and  (h) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information the hon. Member requested is shown in the following table and reflects demonstration and manufacture costs. There were no assessment phase costs, as the equivalent of the assessment phase occurred within a number of studies undertaken between 1993 and 1995, at a cost of 2.6 million, under the wider Sting Ray Post-Design Services contract.
	
		
			   million 
			   As at 31 March each year 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL (1) (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Indirect Resource DEL (1) (1) 82 54 47 56 51 51 
			 Capital DEL (1) (1) 743 740 552 538 526 525 
			 Total 189 190 825 794 599 594 577 576 
			 (1) Breakdown not available.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Type 45 Destroyer programme was on 31 March  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005,  (f) 2006,  (g) 2007 and  (h) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   As at 31 March each year 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 242 454 245 274 272 274 261 261 
			 Indirect Resource DEL   875 646 820 833 797 797 
			 Capital DEL 5837 5045 4649 5136 5033 5234 5638 5638 
			 Total 6079 5499 5769 6056 (1)6126 (1)6342 6696 6696 
			 (1) Due to rounding, the total figure does not equal the sum of the parts.  Note: Due to rounding, the figure for 2005 and 2006 do not exactly equal the overall total programme cost published in the Major Project Report of the same year.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft programme was from  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007 and (viii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment and demonstration phases. JCA has a tailored Main Gate for Demonstration only and approval was for CDEL only. Assessment phase included as RDEL.
	
		
			   31 March 2001  31 March 2002  31 March 2003  31 March 2004  31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource RDEL (1) 144 144 144 144 144 144 144 
			 Indirect Resource DEL (1) 311 306 194 239 239 287 283 
			 Capital DEL (1) 2,021 2,021 2,378 1,675 1,677 1,571 1,551 
			 Total 2,380 2,476 2,471 (2)2,716 2,058 2,060 2,002 1,978 
			 (1 )Breakdown not available. (2 )Due to rounding, the figure does not exactly equal the overall total programme cost published in the Major Project report of the year in question.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Modernised Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilots Night Vision Sensor programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 28 29 28 (1)33 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 8 9 8 6 
			 Capital DEL 218 199 199 197 
			 Total 254 237 235 236 
			 (1 )The apparent increase in RDEL as at 31 March 2008 is due to a change in reporting in relation to contracted-out services VAT. This is a requirement of MPR but is not a cost to the Department as VAT is recovered under the COSVAT scheme. In real terms the costs have not risen.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Merlin Sustainment Capability programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the assessment, demonstration and manufacture costs.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource RDEL 27 27 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 27 27 
			 Capital DEL 805 805 
			 Total 859 859

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast cost of the Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance and Attack Mk 4 Programme was from the  (a) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) indirect resource DEL and  (c) capital DEL at 31 March (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005, (vi) 2006, (vii) 2007 and (viii) 2008.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			   million 
			   31 March 2001  31 March 2002  31 March 2003  31 March 2004  31 March 2005  31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 373 371 596 406 549 452 449 461 
			 Capital DEL 2,462 2,467 2,780 3,187 3,258 3,064 3,052 3,141 
			 Total 2,840 2,843 3,381 3,598 3,812 3,521 (1)3,505 3,607 
			 (1 )Due to rounding, the total figure does not equal the sum of the parts  Note: Due to rounding, the figure for 2005 and 2007 do not exactly equal the overall total programme cost published in the Major Project report of the year in question.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Kevan Jones: An accessibility policy is available for the MOD corporate website
	www.mod.uk.
	The policy was produced in line with guidance from the Central Office of Information (COI). The policy contains an action plan for compliance with World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0
	http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
	Conformance Level Double A
	http://www.w3.Org/TR/WCAG10/#Conformance
	or WCAG 2.0
	http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
	equivalent where applicable, by December 2009. A web page summary of the www.mod.uk accessibility policy will be published to the site by 2 March 2009, as well as the full policy.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 32-3W, on departmental manpower, in which parts of the country civilian staff in the redeployment pool band D and equivalent and above are required to work.

Kevan Jones: Full-time staff at Band D and equivalent and above are classed as having a full mobility obligation, which renders them liable to transfer to any location in the UK or abroad. Staff below Band D and all part-time staff, regardless of grade, have a minimum mobility obligation. This means that they are liable to temporary detached duty and can be transferred locally to other suitable employment within reasonable daily travelling distance.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Met Office is in 2008-09.

Kevan Jones: MOD has only one part vacant property recorded on e-PIMS. The estimated cost of the vacant element is 2,425 in 2008-09. The MOD actually pays some 60,000 per annum in rates on the building. There are no costs associated with properties owned by the Meteorological Office.

Ex-servicemen: Offenders

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) plans to undertake on (i) the factors associated with offending by former members of the armed forces and (ii) the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst such offenders.

Kevan Jones: In concert with the Ministry of Justice the Ministry of Defence plans to conduct research this year on the proportion of veterans in the prison population using data provided by the Ministry of Justice. We also aim to conduct research on offending among those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan linked to our existing health research on this cohort which includes mental health aspects such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the schedule of payments is for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft under the private finance initiative contract; and when each payment is due to be made.

Quentin Davies: The payment for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft is dependent upon the level of usage by the MOD. Invoices will be presented to the MOD each month.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the private finance initiative contract signed with the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft consortium requires the armed forces to use the consortium to undertake all air-to-air refuelling tasks for the period of the contract.

Quentin Davies: The FSTA contract does not prevent the RAF from continuing to receive from, or provide fuel to, other nations' air forces.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports have been received in respect of armoured vehicles during  (a) operations in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan and  (b) training in each of the last 12 months, broken down by vehicle type.

Quentin Davies: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Equipment failure reports 
			   2008  2009 
			  Vehicle  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan 
			  Iraq 
			 Bulldog 29 15 14 10 13 12 1 30 0 13 6 11 
			 Challenger 2 37 10 8 10 0 7 13 8 31 37 0 27 
			 Titan (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Trojan (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 CVR(T) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Mastiff 22 7 8 18 7 2 22 32 14 9 12 70 
			 Saxon (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Vector 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 24 0 19 3 9 
			 Warrior 65 24 29 88 11 10 14 26 12 32 6 12 
			  Afghanistan 
			 Bulldog (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Challenger 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Titan (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Trojan (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 CVR(T) 6 0 59 6 30 42 76 2 53 2 0 25 
			 Mastiff 17 0 5 22 2 7 0 0 6 0 13 2 
			 Saxon 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Vector 35 14 1 4 3 0 1 9 3 1 0 8 
			 Warrior 5 35 2 1 3 3 11 10 4 0 1 5 
			  Other 
			 Bulldog 4 6 3 28 8 11 35 7 6 12 1 4 
			 Challenger 2 124 85 58 100 113 94 133 82 166 89 92 73 
			 Titan 9 19 38 91 73 3 35 17 13 16 8 10 
			 Trojan 9 8 13 93 43 4 71 19 28 57 118 50 
			 CVR(T) 46 9 37 24 28 43 10 50 28 41 6 38 
			 Mastiff 25 1 5 8 2 0 0 17 3 2 7 3 
			 Saxon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Vector 0 2 1 0 1 1 3 2 7 2 1 0 
			 Warrior 30 33 15 11 22 16 12 58 36 38 30 28 
			 (1) Not deployed 
		
	
	The equipment failure reporting system (EFRS) is the mandated system for equipment users to report failures, such as accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, or the failure of an item fitted to the vehicle. It does not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and therefore does not differentiate between what might later prove to have been a problem caused by operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor do these data record the severity of a failure which might have no discernible impact on operational capability or safety. It is not possible using EFRs to distinguish how many of the EFRs in the 'Others' section were as a result of training, and some of the EFRs raised in Iraq and Afghanistan may have been during in theatre training rather than during the conduct of operations.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many services personnel have experienced  (a) heatstroke and  (b) other heat exhaustion illness in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each year since 2005.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence records instances of heat illness as part of its monitoring of climatic injury. Heat illness has traditionally been divided into heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but in practice it is difficult to define the division between the two. Heat illness is therefore used to cover the full continuum of illness ranging from mild symptoms such as muscular weakness, headache and excess fatigue to more serious outcomes such as collapse or coma.
	The following table shows the instances of heat illness, among UK service personnel, that have required attendance at a Field hospital for Operation Telic since 2005 and Operation Herrick since reporting began in August 2006:
	
		
			   Op Telic  Op Herrick 
			 2005 62 n/a 
			 2006 90 16 
			 2007 98 59 
			 2008 32 48 
		
	
	These figures were provided by the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) and extracted from the Operational Emergency Department Attendance register (OpEDAR).
	This table updates the figures given in a previous answer on 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 640-41W. Where a change in numbers has occurred this has been due to subsequent validation by DASA of the OpEDAR dataset.
	These figures provide an indication of instances of heat illness.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the acquisition of the low initial rate production aircraft for the Joint Strike Fighter.

Quentin Davies: We will make a decision once the formal contract negotiations, in which we are closely engaged, for these aircraft are complete and we have been able to judge affordability within the present planning round. I will inform the House once these negotiations have concluded and a decision has been made.

Land Mines

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which of his Department's properties in Scotland  (a) land mines and  (b) cluster bombs are stored.

Bob Ainsworth: Anti-vehicle land mines (bar mines) are stored at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency's (DSDA) Longtown explosives storage facility at Eastriggs in Dumfries and Galloway.
	No cluster munitions are stored on MOD property in Scotland. Inert training versions of the BL 755 bomb, that contain no explosives or bomblets, are stored at DSDA's Glen Douglas facility in Argyll and Bute, awaiting disposal.

Pakistan: Military Aid

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are currently deployed in Pakistan; in which roles; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There are currently 23 UK military personnel based in Pakistan. UK personnel undertake a variety of roles, including training and liaison. In addition, some personnel undertake diplomatic duties and fill exchange posts.

Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average cash allowance awarded to civilian staff in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan was in each of the last two years.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The information requested is as follows.
	 Iraq
	The maximum monthly allowance for the last two years is 8,250 before tax for a civil servant based in Basra. The minimum payment for the same period is 5,000 for a civil servant based in Baghdad.
	 Afghanistan
	The maximum monthly allowance for the last two years is 8,000 before tax for a civil servant based in Lashkar Gah. The minimum payment for the same period is 4,750 for a civil servant based in Kandahar.
	Information on the average cash allowances awarded to civilian staff in operational theatres is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	MOD civil servants, unlike members of the armed forces, deploy into Iraq and Afghanistan on a voluntary basis to provide specialist support to UK armed forces. They are usually deployed for a six-month period during which time they are required to work long hours, live and work in austere conditions alongside their military counterparts and be exposed to dangerous conditions.
	Such conditions are recognised through a system of taxable operational allowances which are reviewed on a regular basis. The total sum payable to individuals will vary. It is dependent on both their grade and their location.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from which  (a) duties and  (b) obligations imposed on maintained schools and their employees some or all academies are exempt; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is not only education law which applies to maintained schools and their employees. There is a wide range of legislation which applies to such schools to a lesser or greater extent. It would therefore be a massive, and ongoing, task for the Department to compile such a list, and to try to establish it would incur a disproportionate cost.
	Academies are accountable through their funding agreements and legislation. This includes duties under equalities, procurement, employment and health and safety law, all of which are applied to maintained schools in the same way.
	Nevertheless, in relation to education law, the regulatory framework applied to academies is lighter touch than the framework applied to maintained schools. This is because we wish to give academies flexibility in the way they are run in many arease.g. curriculum content and delivery (although, since 2007 all new academies have to follow the national curriculum for English, Maths, Science and ICT), organisation of the school day, pay and conditions of teachersin order to help break through entrenched educational failure and low aspiration. Through offering innovative solutions towards tackling educational under-achievement academies are making significant strides towards improving the attainment of children within our most educationally disadvantaged communities. In 2008, the 36 academies which have been open long enough to have results in both 2007 and 2008 have seen an increase of 11.5 per cent. in the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 gaining five or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent. This is more than twice the otherwise impressive increase of 4.6 per cent. seen nationally.
	Copies of our model funding agreement documentation and a list of some of the key legislative requirements on academies have been placed in the Libraries to illustrate how academies are held to account. Copies of open academies' funding agreements can be viewed on the DCSF FOI website
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/foischeme/subPage.cfm?action= collections.displayCollectionicollectionID=190

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what measures are in place to support academies in the event that their sponsors become bankrupt; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: If a sponsor wishes to withdraw involvement, for whatever reason, once an academy has been opened then the academy trust and DCSF would agree the best way forward. The prime consideration would be the needs of the pupils at the academy.
	Academy financial sponsorship is of two types. More recent academies have sponsorship in the form of contribution to endowment funds. The income from these funds is intended to be used to enhance students' opportunities and widen the academy's role in its community, but does not contribute to the recurrent costs of providing education. Therefore any shortfall in sponsorship contributions, whilst regrettable, does not produce any need for additional support of the academy concerned.
	Earlier academies have sponsorship in the form of contributions towards the capital cost, and in some cases contributions are complete. Where they are not, and a sponsor has difficulty completing payments on time, we will consider on a case-by-case basis what action to take.

Care Proceedings

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he takes to monitor the activity of local authorities in respect of care proceedings in each year.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities are responsible for initiating care proceedings based on their assessment in each specific case as to the likelihood of children facing significant harm attributable to the care provided by their parents.
	The Department collects data from local authorities via annual returns once children have become looked after which include care orders, placement orders and emergency protection orders. The Department also receives data on the level of care applications via the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Care Proceedings

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes in court fees in respect of care applications on numbers of such applications.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has asked Lord Laming to consider the key barriers to good safeguarding practice including legal issues as part of his review. This will include the effect of changes in court fees.

Care Proceedings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for care proceedings were made by local authorities in November  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of public law care and supervision applications under section 31 of the Children Act 1989 in November 2007 and November 2008 are given in the table below. Public law cases are those brought by local authorities or an authorised person (currently only the NSPCC). Figures relate to the number of children that are subject to each application and have been rounded to the nearest 10, and so the sum of the individual components may not equal the total. Please note that 2008 figures remain subject to change, particularly the later months of the year. Data for November 2008 have changed slightly compared to that provided previously, owing to updated data.
	Comparisons between single months should be made with caution as the monthly figures are subject to more volatility than those covering longer time periods.
	
		
			  Number of public law care and supervision applications under section 31 of the Children Act 1989England and Wales; county courts and family proceedings courts 
			   November 2007  November 2008 
			 Family proceedings courts(1) 920 1,090 
			 County courts(2) 240 160 
			 Total(3) 1,150 1,250 
			 (1) There have been data quality issues with figures for family proceedings courts A new method of collection was introduced in April 2007 which has improved the coverage and completeness of data. (2) Research undertaken on behalf of Ministry of Justice has identified that some cases that have transferred from the family proceedings court to the county court have been incorrectly recorded as new applications in the county court, thus inflating the reported number of new applications through double counting (see Masson et al 2008) (3) Does not include applications in High Courts  Source: HMCS Family Man and manual returns, as at February 2009.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what contingency arrangements his Department has made to be invoked in circumstances where a child's ContactPoint data have been  (a) compromised and  (b) made public.

Beverley Hughes: ContactPoint is designed, built, operated and managed to HM Government standards for security and complies with the strict controls imposed by HM Government security policy. Data contained within the system are made available only to those authorised users and administrators who have been subject to vetting and have completed mandatory training.
	The ContactPoint system and access to it is constantly monitored. Suspicious network activity is checked and, if the system was thought to be under any form of threat or, if unauthorised access to ContactPoint was detected, the system would be immediately shut down and access denied to all users. Unauthorised or improper access to ContactPoint is treated as the highest priority, requiring immediate response and action by both my Department and the system supplier. Access to the system would not be restored until my Department had been assured that the source of attack or unauthorised or improper access had been located and any mitigating actions had been taken. Following an incident of this type, a full review would take place and prosecutions would be instigated where appropriate.
	Where it was suspected that a child's record had been compromised, the individual (or their parent/carer as appropriate), practitioners or organisations working with them would be contacted to ensure that any necessary safeguarding/child protection procedures were initiated.
	In the case of any breach of the system we would also inform the Information Commissioner's Office.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether ContactPoint uses name recognition software.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 12 February 2009
	 ContactPoint does not use a name recognition software package. To achieve the best possible results ContactPoint seeks to match data using a number of criteria including name. For names, ContactPoint will seek to match both phonetic (e.g. Mohammed/Mohammad/Mohamad) and alternative names (e.g. James, Jim, Jimmie, Jimmy).

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 2236-7W, on children: databases, what formula his Department used to allocate spending to each authority.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The grant allocations to local authorities in respect of ContactPoint recognised the level of participation of each authority to support the development of ContactPoint. Grant allocations were based on a flat rate per authority with the balance of the total grant apportioned on the basis of child population. The flat rate and total grant varied from year to year according to the Department's estimate of the costs likely to be incurred by local authorities during the different stages of implementing ContactPoint.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1062W, on children: daycare, how much his Department is spending on  (a) increasing awareness of the ban on physical punishment of children in childcare settings and  (b) making parenting classes more widely available in 2008-09.

Beverley Hughes: Under the Childcare Act 2006 local authorities are responsible for supporting the training needs of early years providers, and the Department for Children, Schools and Families is providing 440 million to local authorities over the period 2008-11 within the Outcomes, Quality and Inclusion block of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant to help them fulfil this responsibility. Local authorities have discretion to spend this funding in line with their own particular needs and circumstances, to ensure that the specific training needs of early years staff in each area are met. Initial training and continuing professional development courses for child care practitioners include coverage of behaviour management and child protection issues. This may include training to increase awareness of the ban on physical punishment in child care settings. In addition the DCSF spent 7.5 million each year from 2006 to 2009 to support specific Early Years Foundation Stage training on effective practice without the use of physical punishment.
	The Department is providing 8.67 million in 2008-09 for the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners to deliver a combination of research and training to support and develop the parenting workforce. We expect this to bring about a significant change in the supply and quality of the parenting support offered to parents, including increased availability of parenting classes.

Children: Protection

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment the Secretary of State has made of the effect of the judgment in Wright  v . Secretary of State for Health on the implementation of the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 which relate to children.

Beverley Hughes: After careful consideration of the House of Lords judgment in Wright, the Government remain satisfied that the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (SVG) Act 2006 is compatible with human rights and in particular with Articles 6 and 8 of the ECHR. The scheme under the SVG Act does not include the feature of provisional listing, which was the focus of the challenge in the Wright case. In particular, whenever the ISA is exercising its discretion to place someone on a barred list, including under the SVG Act 2006 (Transitory Provisions Order) 2009 (SI 2009/12), which came into force on 20 January 2009, it must first invite their representations and also must send the individual the information on which it intends to rely. This is provided for in paragraphs 3(2), 5(2), 9(2), 11(2) and 16(1) of Schedule 3 to the Act. It would only be where a person had committed an offence which, by its nature, indicated that they posed an immediate risk of harm to the vulnerable (prescribed in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009, S.I. 2009/37) that they would be barred before being given the right to make representations. This is provided for in paragraphs 1,2,7 and 8 of Schedule 3 to the Act (the offences prescribed under paragraph 1 include the rape of a child, for example). The judgment in Wright acknowledged that an ex parte procedure could be justified in such circumstances.

Children: Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what systems he has put in place to ensure that protection for vulnerable children is maintained during the transfer of functions to unitary authorities in  (a) Cheshire and  (b) elsewhere in England.

Beverley Hughes: It is for the new local authorities in Cheshire and Bedfordshire to ensure that they deliver effective services for children, young people and families. The Government have always made clear that it is crucial that the transition to the new local authority structures should avoid disruption to children's services, including child protection services in particular. Specialist safeguarding advisers in the relevant Government Offices have been closely involved in monitoring and supporting the process of transition in both areas. Ofsted's recent Annual Performance Assessments for Cheshire and Bedfordshire both conclude that the transition process is progressing well.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1950W, on children: protection, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures by local authority area.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Outturn expenditure on children's social care for 2004-05 to 2007-08 by local authority are set out in the tables headed Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs available on the following website:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/childrens-social-care
	The original answer gave budget figures for 2007-08. Outturn figures have now been published on the website and are a more accurate assessment of spend.
	A table has been placed in the Libraries showing each local authority's budget for children's social care in 2008-09.

Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of infant school children are taught in classes of  (a) 15,  (b) 20,  (c) 25,  (d) 30 and  (e) 35 children or less; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The requested information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Primary and all age academies( 1) : All Key Stage 1 classes( 2) , p ercentage of pupils by size of class( 3) ,  as at January 2008 ,  England 
			  Class size of:  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 4,5) 
			 15 pupils or less 23,148 1.60 
			 20 pupils or less 124,504 8.58 
			 25 pupils or less 461,309 31.79 
			 30 pupils or less 1,409,711 97.16 
			 35 pupils or less 1,443,469 99.48 
			 (1) Includes LA maintained primary schools and all age academies. (2) Includes reception classes and classes taught by more than one teacher. (3) Based on size of class as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. (4) The percentage of pupils taught in classes of this size, based on the size of class during a single selected period in each school days of the census in January. (5) Includes all pupils taught in class regardless of type of pupils registration.  Source: School Census

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Jim Knight: The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Children, Schools and Families. To respond fully would involve an extensive internal and external information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold.

Departmental Logos

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on the design of logos for his Department since its establishment.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have spent 5,785 on logos for this Department since its establishment.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many language translators are employed in his Department's non-ministerial department; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Jim Knight: Ofsted is the only non-ministerial department linked to this Department. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 19 February 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted carries out all translation using translation agencies. From 1 April 2008 until 17 February 2009, Ofsted has spent 5,310.59 plus VAT (6,171.47 total) on translation services.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many claims for education maintenance allowance received for the 2008-09 academic year were not in payment on 31 January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.

Education: Culture

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils (i) performed music to a live audience, (ii) visited an historic building, (iii) took part in a theatre production, (iv) visited a library and (v) visited an art gallery as a school activity in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Schools offer many arts and cultural activities in the curriculum, for example, in music, art and drama, and there is much cultural activity taking place outside school and beyond the school day. We do not collect year on year data recording children's involvement with the activities listed in the question as school activities.
	The Children's Plan made a commitment to ensure that all children and young people, no matter where they live and or what their background, can get involved in high quality cultural activities in and out of school, working towards a five-hour offer to match that for sport. The 10 Find Your Talent pathfinders that started in September 2008 will, over the next three years, work towards a position where that commitment is a reality.

Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children from Northern Ireland were fostered in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many children from Wales were fostered in Scotland in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many children from Scotland were fostered in Wales in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how many children from Wales were fostered in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997;
	(5)  how many children from Scotland were fostered in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997;
	(6)  how many children from England were fostered in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children from Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland who were fostered in either England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland is not collected centrally by the Department.
	There were 59,500 looked after children in England at 31 March 2008, of whom 42,300 were in foster placements. In total 540 of the children looked after by English local authorities at 31 March 2008 were in placements outside England and 370 of these were in foster placements, this includes those in placements in Northern Ireland. These figures exclude those children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.

GCE A-Level

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of schools did not enter any pupils for an A-level in biology in 2006-07;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of schools did not enter any pupils for an A-level in mathematics in 2006-07;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of schools did not enter any pupils for an A-level in chemistry in 2006-07;
	(4)  how many and what percentage of schools did not enter any pupils for an A-level in physics in 2006-07.

Jim Knight: There were 1,730 maintained schools with GCE A-level candidates that were published in the 2007 School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables. Of these, 115 (7 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for an A-level in biology, 96 (6 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for an A-level in mathematics, 187 (11 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for an A-level in chemistry and 247 (14 per cent.) did not enter any pupils for an A-level in physics in 2006/07.

GCE A-Level: Standards

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of standards at A-level; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of a recalibration of the standards of A-levels.

Jim Knight: The responsibility for ensuring that rigorous standards are maintained over time in A-levels rests with the independent regulator, Ofqual. A-levels are internationally respected qualifications and claims that they have got easier have been investigated and refuted on numerous occasions. A-levels have recently been strengthened further to include additional stretch and challenge for the brightest students and the introduction of an A* grade.
	The Government have made no assessment of the merits of a recalibration of A-levels, which would only be appropriate if we were to change the purpose of the qualification. We have already announced that we will review A-levels in 2013, and can consider any such issues, in consultation with Ofqual, at that time.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils gained five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents, media studies GCSE, psychology GCSE, and PE GCSE.

Jim Knight: The number of pupils attaining five or more A* to C grade GCSEs including English and Mathematics, but excluding all equivalents and the subjects of media studies, psychology and physical education, was 295,423 in 2008. This corresponds to 45.2 per cent. of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.
	The source for this answer is the Achievement and Attainment Tables database.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils sat fewer than five GCSEs in 2008.

Jim Knight: Figures on the number of pupils sitting GCSEs are shown in Table 3 of the Statistical First release GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2007/08 (Revised), which can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000826/index.shtml
	This shows that 93.8 per cent. of pupils entered five or more GCSEs or equivalent in England in 2008, which equates to 40,385 pupils that entered fewer than five GCSEs or equivalents.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils gained at least five A* or A grades at GCSE in 2008.

Jim Knight: In 2008, 97,704 (15 per cent.) pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in all schools in England, achieved 5 or more grades A* or A grades at GCSE only.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 7 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 590-1W, on General Certificate of Secondary Education, if he will give an itemised breakdown of the estimated cost of providing the information requested.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The total estimated cost was 2,400. These are salary costs.
	
		
			  Detailed breakdown of cost for replying to PQ 224476 
			   Hours required  Cost to Department 
			  Planning 4.5 112.5 
			 Implementing production rules 0.5 12.5 
			 Writing syntax 4 100 
			
			  Producing figures (11 years) 49.28 1232 
			
			  Producing figures (one year) 4.48 112 
			 Run the required filters (maintained/independent sector) 0.32 8 
			 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 
			 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 
			 Create tables 0.32 8 
			 Analysis of output 3 75 
			
			  Additional work 2.75 68.75 
			 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 1.5 37.5 
			 Personal QAing 1 25 
			 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 
			
			  QAing 3.5 87.5 
			
			  Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 
			
			  Signing off at SCS level 1 25 
			
			 Total 64.03 1600.75 
		
	
	
		
			  Detailed breakdown of cost for replying to PQ 224477 
			   Hours required  Cost to Department 
			  Planning 4.5 112.5 
			 Implementing production rules 0.5 12.5 
			 Writing syntax 4 100 
			
			  Producing figures (four years) 17.92 448 
			
			  Producing figures (one year) 4.48 112 
			 Run the required filters (maintained/independent sector) 0.32 8 
			 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 
			 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 
			 Create tables 0.32 8 
			 Analysis of output 3 75 
			
			  Additional work 2.75 68.75 
			 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 1.5 37.5 
			 Personal QAing 1 25 
			 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 
			
			  QAing 3.5 87.5 
			
			  Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 
			
			  Signing off at SCS level 1 25 
			
			 Total 32.67 816.75

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 March 2007,  Official Report, columns1912-6W; columns 1898-1902W, on languages, if he will list the maintained mainstream schools where no pupils were entered for a GCSE in  (a) a modern foreign language,  (b) history and  (c) geography in 2007, indicating the local authority in each case.

Jim Knight: The information available will placed in the Libraries.

GCSE

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of those pupils studying GCSE physics were at  (a) comprehensive,  (b) independent and  (c) grammar schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who attempted GCSE physics and the percentage of these pupils who studied at comprehensive, independent and grammar schools.
	
		
			  Number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 attempting GCSE physics, by school type 
			Percentage of which are from: 
			   Number of pupils attempting GCSE physics  Comprehensive schools  Independent schools  Grammar schools 
			 2004 43,067 48.6 34.0 16.7 
			 2005 45,437 51.7 31.9 15.8 
			 2006 48,771 54.4 29.7 15.1 
			 2007 50,744 55.9 27.9 15.3 
			 2008(1) 67,321 61.0 21.4 16.5 
			 (1) Changes in science curriculum introduced.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 845W, on general certificate of secondary education, how many and what percentage of pupils in the maintained mainstream sector achieved five GCSEs including a science GCSE at grades A* to C in 2008, broken down by index of multiple deprivation decile.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the level of agreement between teacher assessments and results in  (a) Key Stage 1,  (b) Key Stage 2,  (c) Key Stage 3 and  (d) Key Stage 4 tests;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the level of agreement between teacher assessments and Key Stage Test results; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has not made an assessment of the level of agreement between teacher assessment and key stage test results at key stages 1, 2 and 4. This is an area being considered by the Expert Group on assessment.
	Internal analysis of the level of agreement between the 2007 key stage 3 (KS3) teacher assessments and national curriculum tests has been undertaken and is provided in the following tables.
	Analysis of these data indicates that there is a reasonable match between test performance and teacher assessment data. Where there is not, the teacher assessments are equally likely to be higher or lower than the performance test level achieved. When interpreting these data, it should be borne in mind that national curriculum test and teacher assessment data will not always correlate. This is because tests provide a snapshot of attainment at the end of the key stage whereas teacher assessment takes into account evidence of attainment in a variety of contexts (such as discussion and observation), throughout the year. Both are vital to ensure rounded, and validated, assessments can be made about each child's performance.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   KS3 test levelEnglish 
			  Teacher assessment levelEnglish  4  5  6  7 
			 4 61 38 1 0 
			 5 13 68 18 1 
			 6 1 33 54 12 
			 7 0 6 45 49 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   KS3 test levelMaths 
			  Teacher assessment levelMaths  3  4  5  6  7  8 
			 3 78 21 1 0 0 0 
			 4 16 66 17 1 0 0 
			 5 1 15 62 21 1 0 
			 6 0 1 12 71 16 0 
			 7 0 0 0 13 73 13 
			 8 0 0 0 0 17 83 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   KS3 test levelScience 
			  Teacher assessment levelScience  3  4  5  6  7 
			 3 57 38 4 1 0 
			 4 12 60 26 1 0 
			 5 1 14 64 19 1 
			 6 0 1 21 59 19 
			 7 0 0 2 21 77 
			 8 0 0 0 3 96 
		
	
	The figures work across the table, so for a given teacher assessment level it shows the distribution of test levels achieved. Taking English as an example, of those pupils who were teacher assessed at level 5, 68 per cent. achieved a level 5 in the test; 13 per cent. achieved one level below and 18 per cent. achieved one level higher.

National Curriculum Tests

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the monetary value of his Department's contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers to provide support to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in procuring the 2009 National Curriculum tests is.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the delivery of national curriculum tests, and any contractual arrangements relating to the procurement of 2009 national test delivery are with the QCA, not with the department. PA Consulting Ltd. provided support for the procurement of the contract for 2009 national curriculum tests and the value of this work amounted to 650,000. In his report on the delivery of national curriculum tests, Lord Sutherland recommended that the QCA should strengthen its corporate oversight of the management and delivery of its contracts. PricewaterhouseCoopers are providing support to the QCA for the operational delivery of the 2009 national curriculum tests. The QCA Board has approved expenditure of up to 2 million including VAT on this contract.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether Key Stage 3 assessment data provided by schools will be subject to external moderation; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Key Stage 3 (KS3) teacher assessments provided by schools this year will not be subject to external moderation.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what date he plans to publish the statistics showing the number of requests for the re-marking of Key Stage 2 and 3 Standard Assessment Tests papers for 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department is not responsible for determining when to publish the statistics showing the number of requests for the re-marking of key stage 2 and 3 national curriculum test papers for 2008. This decision is made by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in line with the code of practice on statistics. Under the code of practice, the QCA is required to provide four weeks notice of its intention to publish. This notification will be made on the QCA website. I understand that the QCA has indicated its intention to publish these data in mid-March.

Offences against Children: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of children in West Chelmsford constituency abused while subject to a child protection plan in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The available figures cover children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan and include information on category of abuse which led to the plan being put in place and re-referrals. These are available in the annual statistical first release Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan, England. The latest figures can be found in Table 10B at the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000811/index.shtml

Partnerships for Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much Partnerships for Schools has received from the European Investment Bank in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Partnerships for Schools (PfS) have been able to secure a commitment in principle from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for 300 million to provide funding for BSF schemes that have PFI investment in 2009/10. EIB provided 53 million of funding in 2007/08 for BSF projects.
	Partnerships for Schools does not receive any money from EIB. The funds secured are used to finance local authority PFI projects.

Primary Education: Admissions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what account  (a) his Department and  (b) local education authorities took of the effect of projected population increases in their estimates of the number of children entering primary schools in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2005; and what plans there are to take account of population increases in (A) 2010, (B) 2013, (C) 2015, (D) 2017 and (E) 2020.

Jim Knight: For funding additional school places the Department relied on authorities' own pupil projections for its estimates of the number of children entering primary schools in each local authority area in 2000-01, 2005-06 and 2010-11. Officials are reviewing emerging pupil number trends to inform the spending review period 2011-12 onwards.
	Local authorities use a wide variety of methods for forecasting pupil numbers. The different methods entail a broadly similar approach that involves taking current pupil numbers and adding/subtracting the net totals of children entering/leaving the school system. We would also expect authorities to also take account of local factors that will have an impact on pupil projectionsincluding rising/falling birth rates, population movements in/out of the area, and proposed new housing developments.
	The Department relies on its own national pupil projections to set the national envelope for recurrent funding. These are linked to ONS (Office for National Statistics) data, which take account of projected population increases. The Department's local authority level projections were used to provide individual indicative allocations and Guaranteed Units of Funding (GUF) at the start of the current CSR period for 2008-11. These indicative allocations become finalised once the latest pupil numbers are known. There are currently no LA level projections formulated for this purpose beyond the current CSR period.

Pupil Referral Units: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which pupil referral units in each local authority area were assessed as outstanding by Ofsted in the last five years.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 February 2008:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Since the introduction of the current school inspection framework (commonly known as section 5) in September 2005, the judgement of a school's overall effectiveness has been made using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. Under the previous school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 10), a school's overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor.
	It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from a seven- to a four-point scale. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgements about schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance. Inspectors do not make reference to, or comparisons with, the previous inspection framework. However, for information, Tables A-E list all of the Pupil Referral Units which have been judged outstanding since September 2005 and all those judged excellent or very good between September 2003 and July 2005. These are grouped by academic year and by local authority.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Pupil Referral Units judged outstanding in 2007/08 (10 PRUs) 
			  URN  School name  LA name  Inspection date  Overall effectiveness  Type of establishment 
			 105146 Park School Bolton 11 October 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132255 Youth Challenge PRU Bolton 12 March 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132869 Secondary Behaviour Support Unit (West) Essex 18 June 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131100 Dacorum Education Support Centre Hertfordshire 11 March 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132139 Middle Years Pupil Referral Unit North Somerset 13 May 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132027 Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit North Yorkshire 9 January 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134390 Tuition, Medical and Behaviour Support Service Shropshire 28 January 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132100 Taunton Centre Somerset 13 June 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 106022 The Pendlebury Centre Stockport 28 November 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 124526 Old Warren House School Suffolk 26 February 2008 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Pupil Referral Units judged outstanding in 2006/07 (18 PRUs) 
			  URN  School name  LA name  Inspection date  Overall effectiveness  Type of establishment 
			 105147 The Young Mums Unit Bolton 3 July 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 108908 The Meriton Education and Support for Young Parents Bristol, City of 25 June 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 115837 Andover Education Centre Co Cricklade College Hampshire 9 May 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 102265 Oglethorpe Unit Havering 8 May 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 118244 The Behaviour Guidance Support ServiceCentre Class Kent 16 May 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 102561 Mecklenburg Pupil Referral Unit Kingston upon Thames 26 June 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 102562 Maiden Oaks PRU Kingston upon Thames 26 June 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 119110 Hendon Brook School Lancashire 1 February 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133984 Solutions 4 Lincolnshire 21 March 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 108566 The Lodge North Tyneside 7 December 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 130339 Harrogate Pupil Referral Unit North Yorkshire 25 April 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 103888 Batmans Hill Unit Sandwell 21 February 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 104849 Impact KS4 PRU Sefton 20 June 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134697 Link Education Centre (South Somerset) Somerset 26 September 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 106023 Moat House Stockport 8 March 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 124527 Parkside Pupil Referral Unit Suffolk 8 May2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134918 Alderwood Suffolk 5 December 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 130984 St John's Pupil Referral Unit Worcestershire 17 May 2007 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Pupil Referral Units judged outstanding in 2005/06 (16 PRUs) 
			  URN  School name  LA name  Inspection date  Overall effectiveness  Type of establishment 
			 131441 Brent Pupil Referral Unit Brent 4 October 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 110202 The Oaks Pupil Referral Unit Buckinghamshire 15 November 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 110205 The Wycombe Grange Pupil Referral Unit Buckinghamshire 12 October 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 100007 Camden Primary Pupil Referral Unit Camden 5 October 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 115478 The St. George's Centre Gloucestershire 8 December 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 130990 The Priory Pupil Referral Unit Herefordshire 5 June 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 130991 St. David's Pupil Referral Unit Herefordshire 18 November 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 117707 The Schoolgirl Mums' Unit At Girls' Boulevard Centre Kingston upon Hull, City of 14 February 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133761 New Woodlands PRU Co New Woodlands School Lewisham 16 March 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134525 Avenue Centre for Education Luton 27 June 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133928 Fenny Housethe Milton Keynes Tuition Service Milton Keynes 20 March 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131243 Haybrook College PRU Slough 22 March 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134534 Craig Croft Education Centre Solihull 31 October 2005 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131822 First Base Suffolk 22 March 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133715 First Base, Ipswich Suffolk 6 June 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131795 Martley Pupil Referral Unit Worcestershire 29 June 2006 Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table D: Pupil Referral Units judged excellent or very good in 2004/05 (10 PRUs) 
			  URN  School name  LA name  Inspection date  Overall effectiveness  Type of establishment 
			 133752 Education In Hospital 2 (Bri) Bradford 22 November 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133753 Education In Hospital 1 (Airedale) CO Learning Support Service, Education Bradford Bradford 23 November 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 112491 Deincourt Support Centre Derbyshire 27 June 2005 Excellent Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131211 Behaviour Support Service Enfield 15 March 2005 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 117082 Lea Valley Education Support Centre Hertfordshire 19 April 2005 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 117706 Young People's Education Centre North Lincolnshire 16 May 2005 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132139 Middle Years Pupil Referral Unit North Somerset 28 April 2005 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134390 Tuition, Medical and Behaviour Support Service Shropshire 6 June 2005 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 134360 Slough Activate Slough 18 October 2004 Excellent Pupil Referral Unit 
			 104038 Triple Crown Centre Solihull 4 October 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table E: Pupil Referral Units judged excellent or very good in 2003/04 (10 PRUs) 
			  URN  School name  LA name  Inspection date  Overall effectiveness  Type of establishment 
			 103148 Focus College Birmingham 23 September 2003 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 105146 Park School Bolton 2 February 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 112096 West Cumbria Learning Centre Cumbria 5 July 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131100 Dacorum Education Support Centre Hertfordshire 26 April 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 130339 Harrogate Pupil Referral Unit North Yorkshire 3 November 2003 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133531 Hobs Moat Centre Solihull 3 November 2003 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 132131 Stowe Teaching Unit Staffordshire 12 January 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131647 South East Surrey Pupil Referral Unit Surrey 8 March 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 133919 Ashton PRU Tameside 1 March 2004 Very good Pupil Referral Unit 
			 131014 Habberley Pupil Referral Unit Worcestershire 21 October2003 Very good Pupil Referral Unit

Pupils: Bullying

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many cases of bullying were recorded in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is not collected centrally. Information on the number of incidents of bullying is not collected. Information is collected, via the school census, on the number of fixed and permanent exclusions which are made due to bullying, however, this will not give information on the total number of incidents.

School Meals: Nutrition

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools did not meet Ofsted's minimum nutrition guidelines for school meals in each year since 2005.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect this information.
	Ofsted does not set minimum nutritional guidelines for school meals. However, the Government have set mandatory nutritional standards for school food. Ofsted does not inspect whether a school is meeting all of the standards but, as part of their regular inspections, expect schools to present evidence about their general approach to food and healthy eating (the 'whole school' approach) and will report on any issues which arise out of self-assessment or as a result of their inspection visit. This contributes to the judgement which Ofsted makes on the extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles.

Schools: Closures

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary schools in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas closed in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The following table sets out the numbers of maintained mainstream primary schools in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas which have closed in each year under local decision making arrangements, which were introduced in September 1999. Information about decisions made under the arrangements that operated prior to September 1999 is not reliable and is, therefore, not included:
	
		
			  Closedcease to maintain 
			  Locale  Rural  Urban 
			 2000 2 7 
			 2001 1 19 
			 2002 5 15 
			 2003 6 18 
			 2004 11 21 
			 2005 10 17 
			 2006 10 25 
			 2007 14 23 
			 2008 14 28 
			 Total 73 173 
		
	
	The table shows only school closures where the provision has ceased to be maintained and has not been replaced. There are other changes to school provision where a school closure is part of the process, but where replacement provision has been established e.g. a change to a school's religious character or where an infant and junior school amalgamate to become a primary school.

Schools: Closures

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many small schools in each local education authority area have closed in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The number of small schools in each local education authority in England that have ceased to be maintained between 2002 and 2008 is shown in the following tables, broken down by primary, secondary and middle deemed secondary schools. Information on school size was not routinely collected prior to 2002.
	
		
			  Number of small( 1)  primary schools ceased to be maintained since 2002 
			  Local authority  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Barnsley  1  1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset22 
			 Bedfordshire  1  1 
			 Bolton 1 1 1 3 
			 Bury  2  2 
			 Cheshire  1 1  1  3 6 
			 Cornwall   1   1  2 
			 Cumbria   2 1 1  1 5 
			 Derby, City of  1  1 
			 Derbyshire  1 2 3 
			 Devon  1  1 
			 Dudley 1   1 
			 Durham   1 1 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1 1 1 3 
			 Gloucestershire  1 1 2 
			 Hackney  1  1 
			 Hampshire   1 1 
			 Herefordshire 1   1  1  3 
			 Hertfordshire  2  2 
			 Kent  1   1 4 1 7 
			 Lincolnshire   1 1 1 1  4 
			 Liverpool  1  1 
			 Manchester 1   1 
			 North Somerset  1  1 
			 North Yorkshire 1 2 1 4 
			 Northamptonshire11 
			 Northumberland  1  3   1 5 
			 Nottingham, City of   1 1 
			 Nottinghamshire  1 1 2 
			 Oxfordshire  1  1 
			 Sefton 1   12 
			 Shropshire 1  1 2 
			 Somerset 1   1 
			 Staffordshire 2 1 1 4 
			 Suffolk   11 2 
			 Surrey  1  1 
			 West Sussex   1 1 
			 Wigan  1  1 
			 Wiltshire   2 2 1 2  7 
			 Wirral  1 1 2 
			 Wolverhampton 1   1 
			 Worcestershire  1 1 2 
			 Total 6 14 9 12 11 22 21 95 
			 (1) Small Primary = Less than 100 pupils 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of small( 1)  secondary schools ceased to be maintained since 2002 
			  Local authority  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Barnet11 
			 Birmingham 1 1  2 
			 Brighton and Hove11 
			 Bristol, City of 1  1 13 
			 Bromley  1  1 
			 Cheshire 1   1 
			 Croydon   1 1 
			 Cumbria   1 1 
			 Essex   1 1 
			 Hertfordshire 1   1 
			 Kent 1   1 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 1   1 
			 Leeds   1 1 
			 Liverpool  1  1 
			 Middlesbrough 1   1 
			 Newcastle 1   1 
			 Nottingham, City of 1 1  2 
			 Nottinghamshire   1 1 
			 Oxfordshire   1 1 
			 Plymouth, City of 1  1 2 
			 Sefton  1  1 
			 St Helens 11   2 
			 Staffordshire11 
			 Walsall 1   1 
			 Warwickshire  1  1 
			 Wigan  1  1 
			 Wirral 1   1 
			 Total 10 3 2 4 4 6 4 33 
			 (1) Small Secondary = Less than 600 pupils 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of small( 1)  middle deemed secondary schools ceased to be maintained since 2002 
			  Local authority  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Newcastle   1 34 
			 Northamptonshire   13 13 
			 Northumberland   1  1   2 
			 Oxfordshire  8  8 
			 Wiltshire   1 34 
			 Worcestershire   11 2 
			 Total  8 17 6 1  1 33 
			 (1) Small Secondary = Less than 600 pupils 
		
	
	continued

Schools: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools there are in each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall where no other school for the same age range is within a four mile radius.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Primary  Secondary 
			   Total number of schools  Number of schools with no other school within 4 miles  Total number of schools  Number of schools with no other school within 4 miles 
			 Falmouth and Camborne 37 0 5 0 
			 North Cornwall 57 0 7 5 
			 South East Cornwall 49 0 6 4 
			 St. Ives 49 0 7 3 
			 Truro and St. Austell 45 0 6 2 
			  Source: School Census January 2008

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) undertaken research on the merits of introducing a pupil premium per schools' funding; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The current review of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) is investigating how best to provide funding for additional educational needs (AEN), including deprivation. As part of the research to inform the review we have commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to investigate the different types of AEN in terms of level of incidence and severity, the best measures for identifying pupils likely to under-achieve, and the potential role of financial incentives in tackling deprivation. The outcome of the DSG review will be implemented from 2011.

Schools: Finance

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department allocated to support small schools in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of funding for each of their schools. However, the following table shows the amount of revenue funding allocated by local authorities in England to maintained primary and secondary school for the last nine years for which information is available:
	
		
			  Total budget share plus grants allocated to local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in England from 2000-01 to 2008-09 
			   Total budget share plus grants allocated to LA maintained primary schools  Total budget share plus grants allocated to LA maintained secondary schools 
			   All LA maintained primary schools  Of which: schools with fewer than 100 pupils  All LA maintained secondary schools  Of which: schools with fewer than 600 pupils 
			  per pupil per pupil per pupil per pupil 
			 2000-01 8,325,552,000 1,940 413,941,000 2,470 8,308,032,000 2,590 814,696,000 2,630 
			 2001-02 9,308,765,000 2,190 465,840,000 2,780 9,136,694,000 2,820 797,602,000 2,930 
			 2002-03 9,796,180,000 2,330 484,068,000 2,920 9,878,455,000 3,020 785,190,000 3,120 
			 2003-04 10,530,790,000 2,520 531,153,000 3,160 10,634,350,000 3,230 809,075,000 3,310 
			 2004-05 11,203,468,000 2,730 571,166,000 3,440 11,497,533,000 3,460 820,351,000 3,570 
			 2005-06 11,960,183,000 2,950 624,540,000 3,720 12,476,548,000 3,760 841,589,000 3,820 
			 2006-07 12,883,941,000 3,210 670,613,000 4,040 13,492,391,000 4,100 931,404,000 4,210 
			 2007-08 13,671,572,000 3,450 716,896,000 4,330 14,397,475,000 4,440 976,813,000 4,580 
			 2008-09 14,207,587,000 3,600 729,155,000 4,440 14,763,370,000 4,630 1,047,111,000 4,780 
			  Notes:  1. Budget share plus grants allocated to schools is the combination of the schools individual budget share plus any revenue grants allocated to the school at the start of the financial year. This does not include any capital funding allocated to schools.  2. The amount of money allocated to a school depends very much on the individual local authorities' own policy for funding their schools. Different authorities retain varying amounts of funding centrally to spend on behalf of their schools while others chose to give schools more autonomy over how they spend their money by devolving more funding to the individual school.  3. The pupil numbers used to calculate the per pupil amounts are as reported by the local authority on their Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 2) comprising of the full-time equivalent number pupils registered at the school used for the initial determination of the school's budget share under the local authority's allocation formula.  4. Included are all local authority maintained primary and secondary schools who are reported by their LA as being open for the entire final year (schools that are reported as either opening or closing during the financial year have been removed). Figures for secondary schools include any LSC funding and LSC pupils for schools with 6th forms.  5. For the purposes of this PQ, a small primary school is defined as having fewer than 100 pupils and a small secondary school is defined as having fewer than 600 pupils.  6. Total budgeted share plus grants figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  7. 2008-09 figures are subject to change by the local authority.  8. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 23 February 2009.

Schools: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have applied for school funding brought forward in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report.

Jim Knight: Applications from local authorities are currently being considered, and we will make an announcement shortly.

Schools: Internet

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained schools in St Albans have broadband internet access.

Jim Knight: All schools in Hertfordshire local authority have broadband connections. The Department does not collect data at constituency level.

Schools: Standards

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the principles of validated good practice in schools and childcare settings in respect of Public Service Agreement 11 are mainstreamed.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Public service agreement 11 of October 2007 set out the Government's commitment to narrow the gap in educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. It did not specify principles of validated good practice in schools and child care settings. The Children's Plan set out the Government's policies to extend and mainstream best practice across the whole child care and education system, including through the self-evaluation and Ofsted inspection frameworks. The Children's Plan - One Year On, published in December 2008, reported on progress since then in enabling all children and young people to succeed, and set out priorities for 2009.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1967W, on schools: standards, which four local authorities are yet to have their National Challenge funding plans signed off; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Since 10 February, I have signed off Durham's National Challenge funding plans. The three remaining local authorities are Bradford, Leeds and Milton Keynes and my officials continue to work with them to develop their plans. I expect to be able to sign off plans for Bradford and Milton Keynes this week, and will be meeting with representatives from Leeds to discuss their plan shortly.

Schools: Transport

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on free transport to school for pupils in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Schools: Water Charges

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect on school budgets of changes to surface water charges by water companies.

Jim Knight: The Government are aware that the changes to surface water charges can lead to increased charges for some schools, depending on their site and how much they use the public drainage system for rainwater disposal. Schools and local authorities should work together if this proves to be the case and take steps to improve natural drainage at schools if necessary.
	For 2007-08, the total expenditure by schools on water and sewerage was 92.1 million. This is 0.3 per cent. of the total school expenditure of 32.9 billion.
	The local authority, in consultation with their schools forum, can consider whether they wish to support schools specifically for additional pressures through the local funding formula. However, this is very much a local decision.

Science: Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy on funding for the study of courses is for the International A-level in  (a) physics and  (b) chemistry in mainstream secondary schools.

Jim Knight: Only qualifications that have been accredited by the regulatory authorities are eligible to be considered for public funding. None of the International A-Levels offered by Cambridge International Examinations has been submitted for accreditation by Ofqual; these qualifications are therefore not eligible to be considered for public funding in England.

Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to increase the number of pupils studying  (a) science and additional science GCSE and  (b) single science GCSEs.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: With effect from September 2007 the Education and Inspections Act 2006 introduced a statutory entitlement for all key stage 4 pupils to have access to a course of study leading to at least two science GCSEs. Schools have to offer all pupils access to either
	(a) Science GCSE and additional science GCSE; or
	(b) all three of Physics, Chemistry and Biology GCSEs (i.e. triple science).
	With effect from September 2008 we introduced a non-statutory entitlement to study triple science for all pupils who achieve Level 6+ in science at key stage 3 and will benefit from studying the three separate sciences. The Learning and Skills Network developed a support programme to help all schools, plan develop and implement triple science.

Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which schools which were part of the National Challenge in 2008 did not receive any additional funding as part of the programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which schools achieved less than 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2007 and have not received any additional funding through the National Challenge; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Schools in 2007 or 2008 where fewer than 30 per cent. of the pupils achieved five GCSEs at A* to C grade or equivalent, including GCSEs in English and mathematics receive support from a range of sources. If they are in London, the Black Country or Greater Manchester any support will come from the City Challenge programmes. In the rest of the country, support is provided by the National Challenge. All schools which become academies receive support from the Academies programme.
	The support for all these schools is a mix of funding to local authorities and schools, together with support in kind. Some schools which were below the floor target in 2007 or 2008 are not receiving any of this additional support. They are listed in the following tables together with the reasons for this. In the vast majority of cases it is because they have moved above the floor target and are on a sustainable path of further improvement. In these cases there was local agreement that they did not need this additional support.
	
		
			  Schools below the floor target based on 2007 results which are not receiving additional support 
			  School  Local authority  Reason why the school is not receiving support 
			 The Ravenscroft School and Technology College Barnet The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Witton Park High School Blackburn with Darwen The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 The Beaconsfield School Buckinghamshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Halifax High at Wellesley Park Calderdale The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Todmorden High School Calderdale The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Solway Community Technology College Cumbria The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Longfield School Darlington The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Aldercar Community Language College Derbyshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Isca College of Media Arts Devon The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Danum School Technology College Doncaster The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Dormers Wells High School Ealing The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 West London Academy Ealing The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Chalvedon School Essex The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Debden Park High School Essex The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Mark Hall School Essex The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Central Technology College Gloucestershire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 St. Thomas More Catholic School Haringey The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Cheshunt School Hertfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Hertswood School Hertfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 St. Mary's High School (VA) Hertfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Westfield Community Technology College Hertfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Mellow Lane School Hillingdon The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 The Leigh Technology Academy Kent The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Chessington Community College Kingston upon Thames The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Coombe Boys' School Kingston upon Thames The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Central Lancaster High School Lancashire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Marsden Heights Community College Lancashire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Moor Park Business and Enterprise School Lancashire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Walton le Dale Arts College and High School Lancashire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 King Edward VI Humanities College Lincolnshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 St. Hugh's C of E Mathematics and Computing College Lincolnshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 The Giles School Lincolnshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 St. Peter's RC High School Manchester The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Greenacre School Medway The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Harris Academy Merton Merton The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 The Kingswood School Northamptonshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Henry Mellish School and Sports College Nottingham The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Serlby Park A 3-18 Business and Enterprise Learning Community Nottinghamshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Banbury School Oxfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 St. Gregory the Great VA Catholic Secondary School Oxfordshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Carter Community School Poole The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 The Grange School Shropshire The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Sandhill View School Sunderland The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Thornhill School Sunderland The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 De Stafford School Surrey The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 King's Manor Community College West Sussex The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Paddington Academy Westminster The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Coppice Performing Arts School Wolverhampton The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Wednesfield High School Wolverhampton The school has moved above the floor target and is expected to continue improving 
			 Brookfield High School Knowsley Has merged with another school. The merged school is supported. 
			 Ruffwood School Knowsley Has merged with another school. The merged school is supported. 
			 St. Edmund of Canterbury Catholic High School Knowsley Has merged with another school. The merged school is supported. 
			 The Newark High School Nottinghamshire Has merged with another school. The merged school is supported. 
			 Tulketh Community Sports College Lancashire Has merged with another school. The merged school is above the floor target and due to become an academy. 
			 Selhurst Mathematics and Computing Specialist School Croydon The school has closed 
			 Lochinvar School Cumbria The school has closed 
			 The Brays Grove Community School Essex The school has closed 
			 The Western Technology School North East Lincolnshire The school has closed 
			 Parkside Community College Plymouth The school has closed 
			 Stamford High School Tameside The school has closed 
			 The Ridings School Calderdale The school is due to close on 31 August 2009 
			 Haywood School Nottingham The school is due to close on 31 August 2009 
		
	
	
		
			  Schools below the floor target based on 2008 results which are not receiving additional support 
			  School  Local authority  Reason why the school is not receiving support 
			 The Ridings School Calderdale The school is due to close on 31 August 2009 
			 Haywood School Nottingham The school is due to close on 31 August 2009 
			 Ryeish Green School Wokingham The school is due to close on 31 August 2010

Serious Case Review Panel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the minimum qualifications required for professionals to sit on a Serious Case Review Panel are.

Beverley Hughes: Paragraph 8.10 of Working Together To Safeguard Children 2006 states that
	'Local Safeguarding Children Boards should establish a Serious Case Review Panel, involving at least LA children's social care, health, education and the police, to consider questions such as whether a serious case review should take place'.
	Minimum qualifications are not prescribed for any particular individual. It is the responsibility of LSCBs to ensure that panels have the membership they need to perform their functions effectively.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended special schools in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 has been placed in the Libraries.
	Information for years 2000 to 2008 is available through the following links.
	 January 2000
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000192/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2001
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000288/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2002
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000359/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2003
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000417/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2004
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000495/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2005
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000606/tables4.html
	(table 12)
	 January 2006
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000682/index.shtml
	(table 12)
	 January 2007
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml
	(table 12)
	 January 2008
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml
	(table B2).

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs were given a fixed-period exclusion from secondary schools in each local authority area in 2007-08, broken down by reason for exclusion.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on exclusions for the 2007/08 school year is expected to be published in the summer.

Special Educational Needs: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained special schools in each local authority area were assessed as outstanding by Ofsted in the last five years.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.

Teachers: Conditions of Employment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps his Department has taken on the conditions of employment for peripatetic teachers.

Jim Knight: Peripatetic teachers who are employed under a contract of employment by local authorities are covered by the School Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) in the same way as teachers who are employed wholly in specific schools. The STPCD is revised each year to take account of any changes in the pay and conditions of teachers in the light of recommendations from the School Teachers Review Body.

Teachers: Qualifications

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many graduates who began secondary school teaching careers had a  (a) first class, (b) upper second class,  (c) lower second class and  (d) third class degree in each of the last 15 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The class of degree held is not recorded in the case of all teachers and therefore the numbers requested are not available.

Teachers: South West

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of teachers employed in  (a) the South West Region,  (b) Devon and  (c) Plymouth are recorded as being disabled; and what percentage of the total workforce each figure represents.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Vacancies

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teacher vacancies there are in schools, broken down by decile of deprivation based on school location.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Work Experience: Accidents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school children were injured whilst at work in England in each of the last four years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is in the table.
	
		
			  Injuries to workers( 1)  (aged under 16 years) by employment status as reported to all enforcing authorities( 2) , 2004-05 to 2007 - 08( 3) 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 4)  2007- 08  Total 
			  Employee( 5)  
			 Fatal1 1 
			 Major 12 17 18 5 52 
			 Over-3-day 15 20 8 11 54 
			 Total 27 37 26 17 107 
			   
			  Work experience( 5)  
			 Fatal 0 
			 Major 13 10 12 9 44 
			 Over-3-day 4 8 20 6 38 
			 Total 17 18 32 15 82 
			   
			  Trainee( 5)  
			 Fatal 0 
			 Major 1 1   2 
			 Over-3-day 2 1  1 4 
			 Total 3 2 0 1 6 
			   
			  Total  
			 Fatal1 1 
			 Major 26 28 30 14 98 
			 Over-3-day 21 29 29 18 97 
			 Total 47 57 59 33 196 
			 (1) Employees and the self-employed. In the period shown there were no reported injuries to self-employed people aged under 16 years. (2) Injuries are reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes three categories of severity to workers: fatal injuries, defined major injuries and other injuries leading to more than three days absence (over-3-day). (3) The annual basis is the planning year 1 April to 31 March. (4) Includes one major and one over-3-day injury with employment status employed by someone else. (5) Data for workers 2006-07 onwards exclude RI incidents, however these are included in the total, therefore breakdown may not match the workers total.  Source: HSE figures for Under 16s at work

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to answer  (a) Question 240758, on reviews of child deaths,  (b) Question 240761, on serious case reviews and  (c) Question 240755, tabled on 4 and 5 December, on membership of a serious case review panel.

Beverley Hughes: Questions 240758 and 240761 were answered on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 442-43W. Question 240755 was answered on 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1054W.